Dipolar water wires stabilize quartets of ureido imidazole compounds (I‐quartets) in a manner reminiscent of stabilization of guanine (G) quartets by cation templating (see picture).

Gramicidin A (gA) is the simplest known natural channel, and important progress in improving conduction activity has previously been obtained with modified natural gAs. However, simple artificial systems mimicking the gA functions are unknown. Here we show that gA can be mimicked using a simple synthetic triazole or 'T-channel' forming compound (TCT), having similar constitutional functions as the natural gAs. As in gA channels, the carbonyl moieties of the TCT, which point toward the T-channel core and surround the transport direction, are solvated by water. The net-dipolar alignment of water molecules along the chiral pore surfaces influences the conduction of protons/ions, envisioned to diffuse along dipolar hydrophilic pathways. Theoretical simulations and experimental assays reveal that the conduction through the T-channel, similar to that in gA, presents proton/water conduction, cation/anion selectivity and large open channel-conductance states. T-channels--associating supramolecular chirality with dipolar water alignment--represent an artificial primitive mimic of gA.

Perylenediimide (PDI)‐based self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been studied by using quartz crystal microbalance, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and spectroelectrochemistry (SEC). The high stability of PDI‐based SAMs has allowed very low signals to be probed by using absorption and emission SEC and by extracting voltabsorptograms. The wavelengths are reported for the absorption maxima of the PDI, anion radical, and dianion species. In contrast, the magnitudes of the molar extinction coefficient of the reduced forms were not preserved in the SAM. The quenching of PDI fluorescence was confirmed on a gold substrate.