Combining neutron techniques to build a fuller picture of dialysis membranes
16 Oct 2026 - Stephanie Richardson
By combining several neutron techniques, researchers from Indonesia are building a detailed picture of how membrane microstructure, toxin interactions and transport mechanisms work together, providing insights for the design of safer and more effective haemodialysis membranes.
For many people with kidney failure, dialysis is a lifesaving treatment that removes waste products and excess fluid from the blood and helps maintain a safe balance of electrolytes. During haemodialysis, blood passes through a filter called a dialyser, which contains thousands of fibres made from a partially permeable membrane. Waste products and excess water pass across the membrane into the dialysis fluid, while blood cells and essential proteins are retained in the blood.
Research into new and improved haemodialysis membranes aims to make treatment both safer and more effective. A priority is improving biocompatibility by reducing unwanted interactions between the blood and the membrane, which can cause inflammation and blood clots. Researchers also want to improve the removal of harmful substances without losing important components of the blood.
Developing better membranes requires a detailed understanding of their structure, how substances move through them and how their surfaces interact with molecules in the blood.
Supported by the UKRI’s International Science Partnership Fund, researcher Arum Patriati from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Indonesia has used a range of neutron techniques at ISIS to study a new type of haemodialysis membrane. The membrane is based on cellulose acetate (which has good biocompatibility) and mesoporous silica (to increase adsorption capacity) forming a mixed-matrix membrane, modified with a polyethylene glycol acrylate to improve hydrophilicity and reduce the buildup of unwanted molecules.
“Different neutron techniques gives us a different piece of the puzzle,” said Arum. “By combining them, we can get a more complete understanding of how our haemodialysis membrane works.”
Different neutron techniques gives us a different piece of the puzzle. By combining them, we can get a more complete understanding of how our haemodialysis membrane works.
Arum Patriati - BRIN, Indonesia
In Arum’s first experiment on the Larmor instrument, she used small-angle neutron scattering to investigate the pore structure and morphology of the mesoporous silica filler, which directly influences the adsorption capacity of the final mixed-matrix membrane.
Arum later undertook inelastic neutron scattering on the Tosca beamline to look specifically at how creatinine and urea – two common toxins found in the blood – interact with mesoporous silica. Changes in the toxins’ molecular vibrations in the presence of the mesoporous silica provided information about how the toxins bind to its surface.
And during their most recent ISIS experiment on Iris, Arum and colleague Septyawan Aulia, have been looking at how water, urea and creatinine toxins diffuse through the dialysis membrane.
For her upcoming beamtime on Larmor, Arum will use small-angle and spin-echo small-angle scattering to characterise the membrane’s morphology across the nano- to microscale, revealing how the integrated polymer–filler network governs overall separation performance.
Together, these experiments are building a much fuller picture of how the membrane microstructure, toxin interactions and toxin transport mechanisms interlink, providing insights to design the next-generation haemodialysis membranes.
While at ISIS, Septyawan, a researcher in the Nuclear Beam Analysis Technology section at BRIN, also had the opportunity to meet with the Experiment Controls group. They shared knowledge about EPICS control system and discussed how it could be applied at the neutron source in Indonesia.
