Supramolecular Chemistry of Membranes

Abstract

Phospholipid bilayer membranes are more than just the delimiting boundaries of cells, they are home to some of the fundamental functions of living organisms, including respiration and photosynthesis. At the core of these complex and remarkably large self‐assembled biological structures is the hydrophobic effect, which causes phospholipids to assemble into bilayers and form closed compartments. Although this elegant process is an area of keen study in its own right, much recent research into the supramolecular chemistry of biomembranes has targeted specific functions, such as signaling, catalysis, or transport. Replicating these cellular processes draws heavily on supramolecular principles and this review describes some of the key works that have progressed supramolecular research into biomembranes, with a focus on those systems developed in phospholipid bilayers. A brief discussion of the fundamental principles that govern biomembrane formation and behavior is provided, which aims to provide background material for researchers in supramolecular chemistry who wish to explore biomembrane chemistry in supramolecular chemistry. Case studies are then introduced to illustrate progress in different aspects of supramolecular membrane chemistry, namely, intramembrane recognition, intermembrane recognition, and reactivity at membranes.

Supramolecular self-assemblies as functional nanomaterials

“…350,351,356 In the third part, we will rst point out the importance of supramolecular ion channels as synthetic transport systems and further demonstrate the importance of nanostructured membranes and metal-organic frameworks for separation and purication of mixtures of gases or chemicals. 350,351,[357][358][359][360] Finally, we will show the wide diversity of nanometric objects that have been involved in the catalysis of chemical reactions. 350,351,[361][362][363]…”

Arginine–Phosphate Recognition Enhanced in Phospholipid Monolayers at Aqueous Interfaces

“…The study of recognition at aqueous interfaces continues to be an open area of investigation. At interfaces, electrical double layers emerge, multivalency can have an impact, the structure of water is altered, − and new driving forces can emerge to enrich or deplete solutes at the interface relative to the bulk. − Studies addressing the impact of these factors on recognition, however, are relatively few. ,− The correlation of those nominally two-dimensional (2D) affinities to the ones for related equilibria in bulk solution is a feature that needs to be addressed for a deeper understanding of recognition . Nevertheless, we wish to examine and confirm the remarkable and poorly understood phenomenon of enhanced affinity of the charged guest solute for the interface before establishing correlations between bulk and surface binding.…”