Transport and separation of small organic molecules through nanotubules.

An electroless plating method was applied to deposit Au onto the surfaces and the walls of pores of polycarbonate membranes to prepare gold nanotubules. The nanotubules were modified with cysteine (Cys) or with carbamidine thiocyante (Gua). The effects of modifiers and of the fine structure of organic molecules on the transport properties of those molecules through the gold nanotubules were investigated. Studies show that the hydrophilicity of modifiers and the planar structure of permeating molecules clearly affect the transport of small organic molecules in gold nanotubules. Tryptophan (Try) and vitamin B(2) (VB(2)) was cleanly separated at pH 6.8.