Chemists continue to have a problem with the delivery of small molecules across biological membranes. An impenetrable membrane often thwarts potential drugs that show promising in vitro activity.  A possible solution to delivering these drugs could be to design synthetic receptors, capable of selectively transporting drug like molecules across a membrane. We have successfully prepared, characterized (1HMR, high resolution Mass Spec.), and visualized a fluorescently labeled cavitand in giant unilamellar vesicles by confocal microscopy.  We aim to show the transportation of fluorescent molecules across the membrane of the giant unilamellar vesicles; in the hopes that we will one day use these methods towards drug delivery.

Selective small-molecule membrane transport via synthetic molecular receptors

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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