A polyaromatic receptor with high androgen affinity

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Biological receptors exhibit high selectivity for steroid sex hormones (androgens, progestogens, estrogens).
• Artificial molecular receptors have historically struggled to differentiate between these hormone classes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an artificial polyaromatic receptor for selective sex hormone binding.
• To investigate the binding mechanisms and selectivity of the artificial receptor.
• To demonstrate a sensing application for androgen detection.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a novel polyaromatic artificial receptor.
• Competitive binding experiments with various steroid sex hormones in water.
• Spectroscopic analysis (fluorescence) for detection.

Main Results:

• The artificial receptor demonstrated preferential binding to androgenic hormones (testosterone, androsterone) over progestogens and estrogens.
• Binding selectivity order: testosterone > androsterone >> progesterone > β-estradiol > pregnenolone > estriol.
• Micromolar fluorescence detection of androgens was achieved in aqueous solution.

Conclusions:

• The developed artificial receptor successfully discriminates between different classes of sex hormones, particularly favoring androgens.
• Selectivity is attributed to hydrophobic effects, CH-π contacts, and hydrogen bonding within the receptor's cavity.
• This work presents a promising platform for selective hormone sensing applications.