A Rigid Molecular Triangle as an Ultrafast and Highly Selective Transmembrane Li+ Channel
Mingju Luo1, Si-Dan Guo2, Junhao Zhang1
1Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Synthesis and Functional Discovery and College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China.
None:
A central challenge in engineering artificial ion channels is the simultaneous achievement of high ion transport efficiency and high selectivity. In this study, we report a unimolecular Li+ channel based on a rigid, C3-symmetric pyromellitic diimide molecular triangle. The structure features a defined wall height of 2.2 nm and a narrow 4.1 Å pore lined with electron-rich carbonyl oxygens. Single-channel measurements reveal ultrafast Li+ transport with a conductance of 57.4 pS-2.5 times that of gramicidin A-mediated K+ conductance-alongside the record-high selectivity ratios of 50.1 for Li+/Na+ and 171.4 for Li+/K+. These performance metrics place this system among the most efficient and selective artificial Li+ channels reported to date, while establishing a versatile molecular platform for Li+-selective membranes and targeted therapeutics.
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