Facilitated transport via carrier—mediated diffusion in membranes: Part II. Mathematical aspects and analyses

Abstract

Part II of this review is concerned with the mathematical analysis of facilitated transport. An exposition is given of the most generally useful techniques for obtaining asymptotic or approximate solutions to one-dimensional carrier-mediated diffusion in membranes, involving multiple permeant and carrier species which undergo one or more chemical reactions. Primary emphasis is devoted to the limiting regimes of weakly-perturbed membranes (small driving forces) and slow or fast reactions (small or large Damkohler numbers). Many of the results appearing in the literature are unified and extended, and a systematic procedure for using these to estimate membrane performance is put forth. Finally, some areas for further work are identified.