Calixarene-based artificial ionophores for chloride transport across natural liposomal bilayer: Synthesis, structure-function relationships, and computational study

An amphiphilic calix[6]arene, alone or complexed with an axle to form a pseudo-rotaxane, has been embedded into liposomes prepared from 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and the permeability of the membrane-doped liposomes towards Cl^- ions has been evaluated by using lucigenin as the fluorescent probe. The pseudo-rotaxane promotes transmembrane transport of Cl^- ions more than calix[6]arene does. Surprisingly, the quenching of lucigenin was very fast for liposomes doped with the positively charged axle alone. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum-chemical calculations were also carried out for providing a semi-quantitative support to the experimental results.

Calix[4]arene-Functionalised Silver Nanoparticles as Hosts for Pyridinium-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles as Guests

A series of lipophilic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) circa 5 nm in diameter and having a mixed organic layer consisting of 1-dodecanethiol and 1-(11-mercaptoundecyl) pyridinium bromide was synthesised by reacting tetraoctylammonium bromide stabilised AuNPs in toluene with different mixtures of the two thiolate ligands. A bidentate ω-alkylthiolate calix[4]arene derivative was instead used as a functional protecting layer on AgNPs of approximately 3 nm. The functionalised nanoparticles were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by UV/Vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Recognition of the pyridinium moieties loaded on the AuNPs by the calix[4]arene units immobilised on the AgNPs was demonstrated in solution of weakly polar solvents by UV/Vis titrations and DLS measurements. The extent of Au-AgNPs aggregation, shown through the low-energy shift of their surface plasmon bands (SPB), was strongly dependent on the loading of the pyridinium moieties present in the organic layer of the AuNPs. Extensive aggregation between dodecanethiol-capped AuNPs and the Ag calix[4]arene-functionalised NPs was also promoted by the action of a simple N-octyl pyridinium difunctional supramolecular linker. This linker can interdigitate through its long fatty tail in the organic layer of the dodecanethiol-capped AuNPs, and simultaneously interact through its pyridinium moiety with the calix[4]arene units at the surface of the modified AgNPs.