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Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), a technology that resulted from significant innovation in semiconductor fabrication, have recently been applied to the development of silicon nanopore membranes (SNM). In contrast to membranes fabricated from polymeric materials, SNM exhibit slit-shaped pores, monodisperse pore size, constant surface porosity, zero pore overlap, and sub-micron thickness. This development in membrane fabrication is applied herein for the validation of the XDLVO (extended Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek) theory of membrane transport within the context of hemofiltration. In this work, the XDLVO model has been derived for the unique slit pore structure of SNM. Beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), a clinically relevant "middle molecular weight" solute in kidney disease, is highlighted in this study as the solute of interest. In order to determine interaction parameters within the XDLVO model for B2M and SNM, goniometric measurements were conducted, yielding a Hamaker constant of 4.61× 10 -21 J and an acid-base Gibbs free energy at contact of 41 mJ/m 2 . The XDLVO model was combined with existing models for membrane sieving, with predictions of the refined model in good agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, the results show a significant difference between the XDLVO model and the simpler steric predictions typically applied in membrane transport. The refined model can be used as a tool to tailor membrane chemistry and maximize sieving or rejection of different biomolecules.

The effects of pore size on the performance of ultrafiltration membranes are fairly well understood, but there is currently no information on the impact of pore geometry on the trade-off between the selectivity and permeability for membranes with pore size below 100 nm. Experimental data are presented for both commercial ultrafiltration membranes and for novel silicon membranes having slit-shaped nanopores of uniform size fabricated by photolithography using a sacrificial oxide technique. Data are compared with theoretical calculations based on available hydrodynamic models for solute and solvent transport through membranes composed of a parallel array of either cylindrical or slit-shaped pores. The results clearly demonstrate that membranes with slit-shaped pores have higher performance, i.e., greater selectivity at a given value of the permeability, than membranes with cylindrical pores. Theoretical calculations indicate that this improved performance becomes much less pronounced as the breadth of the pore size distribution increases. These results provide new insights into the effects of pore geometry on the performance of ultrafiltration membranes.

Silicon micromachining provides the precise control of nanoscale features that can be fundamentally enabling for miniaturized, implantable medical devices. Concerns have been raised regarding blood biocompatibility of silicon-based materials and their application to hemodialysis and hemofiltration. A high-performance ultrathin hemofiltration membrane with monodisperse slit-shaped pores was fabricated using a sacrificial oxide technique and then surface-modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Fluid and macromolecular transport matched model predictions well. Protein adsorption, fouling, and thrombosis were significantly inhibited by the PEG. The membrane retained hydraulic permeability and molecular selectivity during a 90 hour hemofiltration experiment with anticoagulated bovine whole blood. This is the first report of successful prolonged hemofiltration with a silicon nanopore membrane. The results demonstrate feasibility of renal replacement devices based on these membranes and materials.