Superchaotropic Boron Clusters as Membrane Carriers for the Transport of Hydrophilic Cargos
Xin‐Yue Hu, Dong‐Sheng Guo
Abstract
Design of membrane transporters is important in pharmaceutical drug delivery and bioimaging. Traditionally, the amphiphilic transport mechanism has governed the design of membrane carriers over the last 50 years. Recently, Montenegro, Nau and co-workers discarded classical amphiphilic models and proposed a new transport principle based on the chaotropic effect. They utilized globular boron clusters as membrane carriers to transport a broad range of hydrophilic cargo. Herein, we highlight this recent pioneering work, which is a landmark for membrane transport.
Topics & Concepts
Chaotropic agentMembraneAmphiphileNanotechnologyMembrane transportDrug deliveryChemistryMaterials scienceBiophysicsOrganic chemistryPolymerBiologyBiochemistryCopolymerSupramolecular Self-Assembly in MaterialsMolecular Sensors and Ion DetectionMetal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications