Development of Supramolecular Channels for the Selective Transport of Chloride via Hydrogen and Halogen Bond Interactions

Abstract

The primary objective of my doctoral research was to elucidate the fundamental principles underlying ion channel formation through non-covalent interactions and to investigate their anion selectivity within the lipid bilayer. In summary, the research findings support the intended aim of the study. The present studies focus on elucidating the fundamental principles underlying the self-assembly behavior of low-molecular-weight compounds that exhibit the ability to form transmembrane ion channels and facilitate ion transport through the utilization of hydrogen and halogen bonding interactions. The focus of the thesis pertains to the development, chemical production, and analysis of a biomimetic synthetic ion channel. The induction of chloridemediated apoptosis within cancer cells is a well-established phenomenon that is attributed to the transportation of chloride ions. Nevertheless, conventional transporters exhibit a deficiency in selectivity, which can result in harm to both healthy tissues and malignant cells. The augmentation of ion transport across the bilayer membrane can be achieved by modifying the self-assembly of the individual monomeric units to involve multiple ion binding sites. In addition, the selectivity of ions can be altered by incorporating multiple ion-binding sites and influencing the mechanism of ion transport mediation.