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Rigid macrocycles with multiple hydrogen-bond donors for effective anion binding and transport

Aromatic oligoamide macrocycles have been developed in which the constrained backbone enforces hydrogen-bond donors to orient towards the macrocycle centre, forming a highly electropositive cavity. These macrocycles show strong binding for various anions and can partition into biomembranes to facilitate selective transmembrane anion transport.

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Fig. 1: Synthesis and proof-of-concept application of star-shaped aromatic oligoamide macrocycles.

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This is a summary of: Cao, R. et al. Aromatic pentaamide macrocycles bind anions with high affinity for transport across biomembranes. Nat. Chem. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01315-w (2023).

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Rigid macrocycles with multiple hydrogen-bond donors for effective anion binding and transport. Nat. Chem. 15, 1501–1502 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01316-9

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