Li Yiyao, Liu Yang, Xu Rui, Liu Jing, Hou Xu
Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 Jan 26;10(2):77. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10020077.
In nature, dynamic liquid interfaces play a vital role in regulating gas transport, as exemplified by the adaptive mechanisms of plant stomata and the liquid-lined alveoli, which enable efficient gas exchange through reversible opening and closing. These biological processes provide profound insights into the design of advanced gas control technologies. Inspired by these natural systems, liquid gating membranes have been developed utilizing capillary-stabilized liquids to achieve precise fluid regulation. These membranes offer unique advantages of rapid responses, stain resistance, and high energy efficiency. Particularly, they break through the limitations of traditional solid, porous membranes in gas transport. This perspective introduces bioinspired liquid gating gas valve membranes (LGVMs), emphasizing their opening/closing mechanism. It highlights how external stimuli can be exploited to enable advanced, multi-level gas control through active or passive regulation strategies. Diverse applications in gas flow regulation and selective gas transport are discussed. While challenges related to precise controllability, long-term stability, and scalable production persist, these advancements unlock significant opportunities for groundbreaking innovations across diverse fields, including gas purification, microfluidics, medical diagnostics, and energy harvesting technologies.
在自然界中，动态液体界面在调节气体传输方面起着至关重要的作用，植物气孔和内衬液体的肺泡的适应性机制就是例证，它们通过可逆的开闭实现高效的气体交换。这些生物过程为先进气体控制技术的设计提供了深刻见解。受这些自然系统的启发，人们开发了利用毛细管稳定液体的液体门控膜，以实现精确的流体调节。这些膜具有响应迅速、抗污染和高能效等独特优势。特别是，它们突破了传统固体多孔膜在气体传输方面的局限性。本文介绍了受生物启发的液体门控气阀膜（LGVMs），重点阐述了其开闭机制。它强调了如何利用外部刺激，通过主动或被动调节策略实现先进的多级气体控制。文中还讨论了在气流调节和选择性气体传输方面的各种应用。尽管在精确可控性、长期稳定性和可扩展生产方面仍存在挑战，但这些进展为包括气体净化、微流体、医学诊断和能量收集技术在内的各个领域带来了重大的突破性创新机遇。
