Very small pores make a big difference in filtering technology

In recent years, nanoporous membranes made with graphene, polymers, and silicon have been used successfully for separating gases, desalinating water, and delivering drugs, among other uses. But creating membranes that let all the right molecules pass through while keeping the undesired ones out has proven tricky. Now, researchers at Yale University have found that more distance between pores enabled a greater permeability/selectivity performance.