Carbon Nanotube Membranes can Enable Rapid Dialysis Processes Written by AZoNanoJan 8 2021 Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found that ultra-rapid dialysis processes could be achieved by carbon nanotube membrane pores, resulting in considerably reduced treatment time for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Artistic rendering of fast ion permeation inside single-walled carbon nanotubes. Small ions such as potassium, chloride, and sodium permeate through the inner volume of nanometer-wide carbon nanotubes at rates that surpass diffusion in bulk water by an order of magnitude. Image Credit: Francesco Fornasiero/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In manmade and biological processes, the potential to isolate molecular components in complex solutions is very important. One way to do this is to apply a concentration gradient across a porous membrane. This method fuels molecules or ions that are smaller in comparison to the pore diameters from one side of the porous membrane to the other, while preventing anything that is too large to accommodate through the pores.