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Novel resorcin[4]arenes as potassium-selective ion-channel and transporter mimics
A J Wright1, S E Matthews, W B Fischer
1Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, UK.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|September 19, 2001
Abstract:
A series of novel resorcin-[4]arenes with extended pi systems have been synthesised and developed as potassium-selective transporters. Resorcin[4]arenes that feature crown ether moieties function as efficient carriers of K+ across bulk liquid membranes showing enhanced selectivity over the other alkali metal ions relative to a model system (benzo[15]crown-5). Incorporation of functionalities suitable for pore formation, in addition to an extra annulus of aromatic residues, gives molecules which have remarkable ion-channel-mimicking behaviour in a biological lipid bilayer with outstanding K+/Na+ selectivity.