Highly Selective Transport and Enrichment of Lithium Ions through Bionic Ion Pair Receptor Nanochannels

Inspired by ion pair cotransport channels in biologicalsystems,a bionic nanochannel modified with lithium ion pair receptors is constructedfor selective transport and enrichment of lithium ions (Li+). NH2-pillar[5]arene (NP5) is chosen as ion pair receptors,and the theoretical simulation and NMR titration experiments illustratethat NP5 has good affinity for the ion pair of LiCl through a stronghost-guest interaction at the molecular level. Due to the confinementeffect and ion pair cooperation recognition, an NP5-based receptorwas introduced into an artificial PET nanochannel. An I-V test indicated that the NP5 channel realized the highly selectiverecognition for Li+. Meanwhile, transmembrane transportand COMSOL simulation experiments proved that the NP5 channel achievedthe transport and enrichment of Li+ through the cooperativeinteraction between NP5 and LiCl. Moreover, the receptor solutionof transmembrane transport LiCl in the NP5 channel was used to cultivatewheat seedlings, which obviously promoted their growth. This nanochannelbased on the ion pair recognition will be much useful for practicalapplications like metal ion extraction, enrichment, and recycle.

Automated summary

Inspired by ion pair cotransport channels in biological systems, a bionic nanochannel modified with lithium ion pair receptors is constructed for the selective transport and enrichment of lithium ions (Li+). NH2-pillar[5]arene (NP5) is chosen as the ion pair receptors, and theoretical simulations and NMR titration experiments confirm the strong host-guest interaction between NP5 and LiCl at the molecular level. The NP5 channel demonstrates highly selective recognition for Li+ through confinement effect and ion pair cooperation recognition, allowing for the transport and enrichment of Li+ through cooperative interaction. Moreover, the use of the NP5 channel's receptor solution for transmembrane transport of LiCl promotes the growth of wheat seedlings, indicating potential practical applications in metal ion extraction, enrichment, and recycling.