The identification of domains that occur within proteins can therefore provide insights into their function. Different combinations of domains give rise to the diverse range of proteins found in nature. Proteins are generally composed of one or more functional regions, commonly termed domains. We hope that this review will inspire the design of novel stimuli-responsive membranes to promote sustainable development and make progress toward commercialization.The Pfam database is a large collection of protein families, each represented by multiple sequence alignments and hidden Markov models (HMMs). This review offers critical insights for the membrane and broader materials science communities regarding the on-demand and dynamic control of membrane structures and properties.

Smart applications for separations are also reviewed as well as a discussion of remaining challenges and future prospects in this exciting field. This review also focuses on strategies to prepare stimuli-responsive membranes, including blending, casting, polymerization, self-assembly, and electrospinning. Special attention is given to stimuli-responsive control of membrane pore structure (pore size and porosity/connectivity) and surface properties (wettability, surface topology, and surface charge), from the perspective of determining the appropriate membrane properties and microstructures. The most commonly utilized stimuli, including light, pH, temperature, ions, and electric and magnetic fields, are discussed in detail. This review summarizes and discusses important developments and achievements in stimuli-responsive membranes. Further conferring membranes with stimuli responsiveness can allow them to dynamically tune their pore structure and/or surface properties for efficient separation performance. Membranes have been extensively studied and applied in various fields owing to their high energy efficiency and small environmental impact.

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