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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
Chirality-Induced Split Personality in Polymer with Intrinsic Microporosity-Based Artificial Ion Channels
Fei Gou1, Zihong Yang1, Qiuting Wang1
1College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350116, China.
Abstract:
The construction of artificial transmembrane ion channels using polymers has emerged as a promising research avenue in membrane transport. In this study, we have designed and synthesized an intriguing class of intrinsically microporous chiral polyimides (PIM-PIs) employing trans/cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexanes (DACH) as structural building blocks. Remarkably, these chiral PIM-PIs exhibit distinct configurations, leading to contrasting ion transport properties. The cis-DACH-derived chiral polymer 1 demonstrates the hitherto highest Li+ transport activity (>100 pS), along with exceptionally high selectivity ratios for Li+/Na+ (17.1) and Li+/K+ (21.8). In contrast, chiral polymers 2a and 2b, synthesized from (1R,2R)-DACH and (1S,2S)-DACH, respectively, showcase pronounced anion transport capabilities and a remarkably high Cl-/K+ selectivity ratio of 17.6. This work introduces a multifunctional, chiral PIM-based artificial ion channel system with a "split personality" governed by its chiral constituents. It represents the first application of chiral polymers in transmembrane transport, inspiring innovative design strategies for developing polymer-based artificial ion channels.
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