Responsive Anionophores with AND Logic Multi-Stimuli Activation

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Artificial ion transport systems show promise for anticancer therapeutics and treating channelopathies.
• Stimuli-responsive systems with spatiotemporal control for targeted applications are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a modular platform for stimuli-responsive ion transporters.
• To achieve precise OFF-ON activation of ion transport using various external stimuli.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dynamic hydrogen bonding interactions of a 4,6-dihydroxy-isophthalamide core.
• Alkylated hydroxyl groups with stimulus-responsive moieties to create 'caged' transporters.
• Employed orthogonal stimuli for multi-stimuli activation (AND logic).

Main Results:

• Developed ion transporters activated by light, redox, and enzymes with excellent OFF-ON profiles.
• Demonstrated that cleavage of stimulus-responsive cages reverses hydrogen bonding, forming an anion binding cavity.
• Achieved multi-stimuli activation requiring two orthogonal triggers for transport initiation.

Conclusions:

• The modular platform enables facile post-functionalization for targeted activation with multiple triggers.
• This strategy provides a versatile approach to designing sophisticated, stimuli-responsive ion transport systems.
• The developed transporters hold potential for advanced applications in chemotherapeutics and beyond.