INVESTIGATION OF THE STABILITY AND SELECTIVITY OF PHENYLALANINE TRANSPORT ACROSS A SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE

A supported liquid membrane system was investigated for the carrier me diated transport of phenylalanine to more fully understand the contrad ictory effects, described in the literature, of chloride ion concentra tion in the aqueous phases on the stability of the system. The role of the organic phase and its interaction with carrier and support materi al was considered. The carrier mediated transport was comparable to an enzyme mediated process. Kinetic studies were undertaken and the data interpreted in a manner appropriate to biological transport processes to consider the transport process at a molecular level. The system wa s shown to deviate from a direct 1:1 exchange process between phenylal anine and chloride and had a high degree of selectivity with respect t o phenylalanine.