Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface
Published on: May 1, 2020
Artificial K+ Channels Formed by Pillararene-Cyclodextrin Hybrid Molecules: Tuning Cation Selectivity and Generating
Pengyang Xin1, Huiyuan Kong1, Yonghui Sun1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecule and Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions of Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Green Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
Abstract:
A class of artificial K+ channels formed by pillararene-cyclodextrin hybrid molecules have been designed and synthesized. These channels efficiently inserted into lipid bilayers and displayed high selectivity for K+ over Na+ in fluorescence and electrophysiological experiments. The cation transport selectivity of the artificial channels is tunable by varying the length of the linkers between pillararene and cyclodexrin. The shortest channel showed specific transmembrane transport preference for K+ over all alkali metal ions (selective sequence: K+ > Cs+ > Rb+ > Na+ > Li+ ), and is rarely observed for artificial K+ channels. The high selectivity of this artificial channel for K+ over Na+ ensures specific transmembrane translocation of K+ , and generated stable membrane potential across lipid bilayers.
Related Concept Videos
The Resting Membrane Potential
Ion Channels
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Resting Membrane Potential
The Inside of a Neuron is More Negative
The membrane potential of a cell can be measured by inserting a microelectrode into a cell and comparing the charge to a reference electrode in the extracellular fluid. The...
Molecules and Compounds
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals I
Hybridization of Atomic Orbitals II

