McCamley Lecture: Stimuli-responsive supramolecular ion receptors and transmembrane transporters

Ion transport across lipid bilayer membranes mediated by membrane proteins is a fundamental process in biology. Synthetic ion transporters find numerous applications, including therapeutics, tools for probing biological systems and regulating flow of material in and out of artificial cells. In this talk, I will present our recent work on developing synthetic stimuli-responsive receptors, fluorescent sensors and transmembrane transporters for anions. In particular I will discuss how we can use photo-responsive receptors to bind and sense anions, demonstrate how anion transport across lipid bilayer membranes may be achieved using unconventional non-covalent interactions such as halogen bonding, and how this process may be regulated with external stimuli.