Paper in Chem (Cell Press) (2024)

10 06 2024

The collaborative efforts of the teams of Professor Michał Chmielewski from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw and Professor Agnieszka Szumna from the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, have culminated in a significant publication in the journal Chem, issued by Cell Press.

Their paper, “Supramolecular umpolung: Converting electron-rich resorcin[4]arenes into potent CH-bonding anion receptors and transporters,” introduces groundbreaking design principles for anion receptors and transporters. The researchers described the transformation of resorcin[4]arenes, traditionally recognized as cation receptors, into powerful anion-binding agents through a simple synthetic modification. This modification enables the compounds to utilize CH-anion hydrogen bonds—typically considered weak—for strong anion binding. The study demonstrates that these newly designed receptors can effectively transport anions across lipid bilayers, surpassing many previously described receptors that rely on stronger hydrogen bonds. The receptors’ unique characteristics, such as limited ability to equilibrate transmembrane pH gradients, make them particularly suitable for biological applications. The innovative approach described in this paper paves the way for developing effective anion transporters, as well as for their potential therapeutic applications in treating diseases that are linked to the dysfunction of natural transporters, such as cystic fibrosis.

The work of the UW group was supported by the NCN OPUS grant entitled “Selective transport of biologically important anions across lipid bilayers” (OPUS 2018/31/B/ST5/02085).

Publication details:
E. R. Abdurakhmanova, D. Mondal, H. Jędrzejewska, P. Cmoch, O. Danylyuk, M. J. Chmielewski*, A. Szumna* “Supramolecular umpolung: Converting electron-rich resorcin[4]arenes into potent CH-bonding anion receptors and transporters” , Chem (Cell Press), 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.03.003

Link to the band’s website:  https://www.mchmielewski.pl/en/home/