This research demonstrates chiral polymers enhancing ion transport in artificial ion channels, suggesting novel designs. The intrinsic microporosity provides diverse selectivity ratios for ions.
The construction of artificial transmembrane ion channels using polymers has emerged as a promising research avenue in membrane transport. In this study, we have designed and synthesized an intriguing class of intrinsically microporous chiral polyimides (PIM‐PIs) employing trans / cis ‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexanes (DACH) as structural building blocks. Remarkably, these chiral PIM‐PIs exhibit distinct configurations, leading to contrasting ion transport properties. The cis‐DACH‐derived chiral polymer 1 demonstrates the hitherto highest Li + transport activity (>100 pS), along with exceptionally high selectivity ratios for Li + /Na + (17.1) and Li + /K + (21.8). In contrast, chiral polymers 2a and 2b , synthesized from (1 R ,2 R )‐DACH and (1 S ,2 S )‐DACH, respectively, showcase pronounced anion transport capabilities and a remarkably high Cl − /K + selectivity ratio of 17.6. This work introduces a multifunctional, chiral PIM‐based artificial ion channel system with a “split personality” governed by its chiral constituents. It represents the first application of chiral polymers in transmembrane transport, inspiring innovative design strategies for developing polymer‐based artificial ion channels.
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Gou et al. (2025) studied this question.
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