Incorporation of a smart polymer into a silica matrix can lead to smart membranes, it is demonstrated here. Polymer–silica membranes were supported on porous centrifugal filters (see Figure), the encapsulated polymer molecules acting as “nano-valves”. Permeation experiments with aqueous solutions of poly (ethylene glycol) show that the membranes function as thermally switchable molecular filters.
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Rao et al. (2000) studied this question.