Nanopore Filter
In June 2026, researchers engineered a membrane with perfectly uniform 1-nanometer pores — precise enough to separate drug molecules by size, cutting pharmaceutical energy use by 60% vs. distillation. Adjust the pore diameter and watch which molecules pass through.
pore ⌀1.00 nm
passing: Water, Ethanol, Caffeine, Ibuprofen
Water0.28 nm
✓ 0 passed
Ethanol0.44 nm
✓ 0 passed
Caffeine0.73 nm
✓ 0 passed
Ibuprofen0.89 nm
✓ 0 passed
Methylene Blue1.43 nm
✗ 0 blocked
Albumin7.2 nm
✗ 0 blocked
Membrane · molecular filtration pathway
Nanopore science · cycles every 7 s
The Discovery · June 2026
Researchers engineered a membrane with perfectly uniform 1-nanometer pores — the same diameter as a large drug molecule. Unlike previous membranes whose pore sizes vary ±30%, these are atom-precise, making molecular filtration as selective as a crystal sieve.