Photoresponsive hydrazone based synthetic ion transporter with tunale ionophoric activity

Abstract

The development of small molecule-based synthetic ion transporters is an emerging field of research in supramolecular chemistry, mainly focused on the transport of chloride, sodium, and potassium ions. Although various small molecule-based ion transporters are reported to transport either cation or anion, few of them are known to transport cation and anion simultaneously. Nowadays, synthetic gated systems, particularly light-regulated ion transporters, are emerging as new avenues in the ion transport field. Herein, we reported a series of hydrazone-based photoresponsive ion transporters that can simultaneously transport cation and anion via the symport process. Although compound 1a showed the highest transport efficiency among the synthesized analogs, we carried out further experiments with compound 1b due to its reversible photoswitching nature. Ion selectivity studies reveal that compound 1b has the highest transport efficiency towards Na/K and Cl ions. The reversible photoswitching property of compound 1b can help in tuning the ion transport activity of 1b with a specific wavelength of light.