10.1002/asia.202001106
This study reports the development of imidazoline-based multiblock amphiphiles (IMAs) as transmembrane anion transporters. IMAs consist of a hydrophilic octaethylene glycol chain and a hydrophobic aromatic unit, with the imidazoline ring acting as an anion recognition site. The C2 proton of the imidazoline ring recognizes anions. Ion transport assays using halide-sensitive lucigenin and pH-sensitive 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (HPTS) showed that IMAs transported the anion, nitrate, with high selectivity. Temperature-dependent ion transport assays using 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) showed that IMAs function as mobile carriers. 1H NMR titration experiments and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations further elucidated the dynamic features of IMAs within the membrane during ion transport.