Active Transport of Macrocycles into Micelles Using Molecular Pumps
Abstract
Abstract During the past decade, researchers have designed and synthesised a variety of artificial molecular pumps capable of the active transport of macrocycles (rings) from free solution into mechanically interlocked states. In their ability to drive non‐equilibrium transport, these artificial molecular pumps imitate natural transmembrane transporters, which are widespread in living organisms. Despite this resemblance, ring‐threading molecular pumps have not previously been operated in aqueous supramolecular assemblies in imitation of their natural counterparts. Here, we demonstrate the active transport of charged macrocycles from aqueous solution into micellar assemblies of polymer chains, which remain stable after pumping has occurred. While micelles are used routinely to encapsulate and solubilise hydrophobic small molecules in aqueous solution, this report, by contrast, shows that artificial molecular pumps can harness external energy to drive hydrophilic molecules into micelles where they are stored at concentrations far from equilibrium.
Article Details
Authors (18)
James S. W. Seale
Department of Chemistry Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Swagat Sharma
Department of Biomedical Engineering Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Christopher K. Lee
Han Han
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
Tyler Jaynes
Department of Chemistry Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Eric W. Roth
Department of Chemistry Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Saman Shafie
Department of Chemistry Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Yunyan Qiu
Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
Luke Malaisrie
Department of Chemistry Northwestern University Evanston Illinois 60208 USA
Madison I. Bardot
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
Long Zhang
Yi‐Kang Xing
Department of Chemistry The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
Dong Jun Kim
Samuel I. Stupp
R. Dean Astumian
Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Maine Orono ME USA
Evan A. Scott
William R. Dichtel
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
J. Fraser Stoddart