MOPping up ions: A synthetic ion channel formed with MOP‐18 transports protons and alkali‐metal ions across lipid membranes. Homogeneous, long‐lived single‐channel currents were observed in planar lipid bilayer experiments. The MOP‐18 channel prefers cations over anions, and the cation selectivity is in the order Li+≫Na+>K+>Rb+>Cs+. This system is promising for applications such as sensors and catalysis.

The design and synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) polymers is a challenging task, hitherto achieved in solution only through the aid of a solid surface "template" or preorganization of the building blocks in a 2D confined space. We present a novel approach for synthesizing free-standing, covalently bonded, single-monomer-thick 2D polymers in solution without any preorganization of building blocks on solid surfaces or interfaces by employing shape-directed covalent self-assembly of rigid, disk-shaped building blocks having laterally predisposed reactive groups on their periphery. We demonstrate our strategy through a thiol-ene "click" reaction between (allyloxy)12CB[6], a cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) derivative with 12 laterally predisposed reactive alkene groups, and 1,2-ethanedithiol to synthesize a robust and readily transferable 2D polymer. We can take advantage of the high binding affinity of fully protonated spermine (positive charges on both ends) to CB[6] to keep each individual polymer sheet separated from one another by electrostatic repulsion during synthesis, obtaining, for the first-time ever, a single-monomer-thick 2D polymer in solution. The arrangement of CB[6] repeating units in the resulting 2D polymer has been characterized using gold nanoparticle labeling and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we have confirmed the generality of our synthetic approach by applying it to different monomers to generate 2D polymers. Novel 2D polymers, such as our CB[6] derived polymer, may be useful in selective transport, controlled drug delivery, and chemical sensing and may even serve as well-defined 2D scaffolds for ordered functionalization and platforms for bottom-up 3D construction.

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Cucurbituril-based nanoparticles (CB[6]NPs) serve as new efficient vehicles for delivery of hydrophobic drugs, which have unique features including (1) a high drug loading capacity and efficiency, (2) noncovalently tunable surfaces, (3) efficient delivery of hydrophobic drugs into a cancer cell by receptor-mediated endocytosis, and (4) facile release of drugs into cytoplasm, which enhances the pharmaceutical effects of the drugs.

Developing a material that can combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a major global health threat, is an urgent requirement. To tackle this challenge, we synthesized a multifunctional subphthalocyanine (SubPc) polymer nanosphere that has the ability to target, label, and photoinactivate antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a single treatment with more than 99 % efficiency, even with a dose as low as 4.2 J cm(-2) and a loading concentration of 10 nM. The positively charged nanosphere shell composed of covalently linked SubPc units can increase the local concentration of photosensitizers at therapeutic sites. The nanosphere shows superior performance compared to corresponding monomers presumably because of their enhanced water dispersibility, higher efficiency of singlet-oxygen generation, and phototoxicity. In addition, this material is useful in fluorescence labeling of living cells and shows promise in photoacoustic imaging of bacteria in vivo.