ANALYSIS OF FACILITATED OXYGEN-TRANSPORT IN A LIQUID MEMBRANE OF HEMOGLOBIN

A liquid membrane containing bovine hemoglobin (Hb) as an oxygen carri er was prepared, and oxygen permeation through the membrane was measur ed by the electrochemical reduction of the permeated oxygen. The oxyge n permeation was facilitated, as analyzed by a dual-mode model, to giv e permeation parameters of the membranes such as the diffusion coeffic ient (D-Hb) Of the mobile carrier Hb and the solution-diffusion coeffi cient of oxygen (D-O2). The facilitated permeation was the product of the Hb concentration ([Hb](0)) and D-Hb in the membrane solution. D-Hb decreased with [Hb](0) or the solution viscosity; the maximum of the oxygen permeability (6.2 x 10(-8) cm(3)(STP)cm cm(-2)s(-1) cmHg(-1) at the feed stream oxygen pressure of 0.54 cmHg) was observed at [Hb](0) = 12.8 g dl(-1), where the facilitation factor and the oxygen/nitroge n permselectivity were ca. 10 and 18, respectively.