Ion transport through bilayer membranes mediated by pyrogallol[4]arenes

Pyrogallol[4]arenes result from the condensation of 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene and an aldehyde. The compounds studied have linear and branched sidechains: n-propyl, isopropyl, 3-pentyl, n-hexyl, 4-heptyl, n-octyl, n-undecyl, and n-dodecyl. The ability of these compounds to form pores in bilayer membranes, their aggregation behavior, and their ion transport behavior have been studied. The n-alkyl and branched alkyl chained derivatives show significantly different behavior in their membrane activity.