Pillar[5]arene-functionalized nanochannel platform for detecting chiral drugs

Chirality is a fascinating and essential feature of life and highly associated with many significant pharmaceutical, chemical, and biological processes. The construction of chiral recognition platform is a hot research topic and challenging assignment. Herein, we report an electrochemical method by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) for the enantioselective recognition of chiral drug propranolol (R/S-PPL) through a nanochannel platform based on the N-acetyl-L-cysteine functionalized pillar[5]arenes derivative NALC-P5 and the porous polycarbonate membrane. The chiral discrimination depends on the difference in the supramolecular host-guest interaction between the chiral NALC-P5 and the R/S-PPL. The transmission rate of the R/S-PPL can be regulated in the nanochannel and we can achieve the selective transport of the chiral drugs. This simple electrochemical technique has potential applications as a general platform for the recognition of chiral molecules. (C) 2020 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The research demonstrated the enantioselective recognition of the chiral drug propranolol through an electrochemical method in a nanochannel platform, showcasing its potential applications in the recognition of chiral molecules.