Biomimetic Approach for Ion Channels Based on Surfactant Encapsulated Spherical Porous Metal-Oxide Capsules.

Distinguished hybrid clusters with hydrophilic and hydrophobic interiors embedded within cationic surfactant shells are spontaneously inserted into lipid bilayers, showing well-defined ionic conductance behaviors. The transport via the narrow pore gates acting as selectivity filters is controlled by the dehydration energy of the cations.