1.D.314. The Heteropolymeric Transmembrane K+ Channel (HTKC) Family
A series of single-chain random heteropolymer (RHP)-derived artificial ion channels with both high K+ selectivity and controllable pH-gated behaviors were fabricated by a facile "one-pot" polymerization method (Yan et al. 2022). The benzo-18-crown-6 moieties appended on lateral chains of RHPs can form ion-permeable nanopores and transport K+ over Na+ through the lipid bilayers. The ion permeation selectivity was significantly enhanced by incorporating a cholesterol group to serve as a membrane anchor. Similar to natural gated protein channels, on-off switchable characteristics were also realized by integrating an additional acid-sensitive alkylamine group into the RHP-derived channel. The unique design strategies have endowed the RHP-derived ion channels with facile synthetic procedures, desirable membrane compatibility, high K+ selectivity, and tunable pH-gated properties (Yan et al. 2022).