{
  "abstract": "Phosphates are ubiquitous natural recognition motifs. Their charge, hydrogen bonding, variable substitution, and reversible enzymatic installation uniquely enable complex tasks in Biology. However, they are not used extensively in supramolecular systems. Herein, we combine Nature’s modulator with supramolecular rational design, creating rim-functionalised pillar[n]arene phosphates, which act as highaffinity molecular hosts. Using robust phosphoramidite chemistry, we prepared P5Max and P6Max, based on pillar[5]arene and pillar[6]arene cores in four high yielding steps. We developed a high-throughput fluorescence displacement assay enabling us to explore a biologically focused screening panel and so rapidly investigate the recognition properties of our new hosts. P5Max and P6Max bind a series of structurally diverse chemotherapies, neuromuscular blockade agents, anaesthetics and antibiotics, with P6Max proving the more general host. We used functional assays to explore P6Max’s ability to control the biological effect of different drug classes, including highly toxic chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics. The use of high-throughput assays in host-guest systems provides a simple, rapid, and scalable route to translating supramolecular interactions to functional effect.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Artificial Molecular Machines Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, U.K., NW1 1AT",
    "Department of Chemistry, King’s College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, London, U.K., SE1 1DB",
    "Department of Chemistry, University College of London, Christopher Ingold Building, 20 Gordon St, U.K., WC1H 0AJ"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Edvinas Ališauskas"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Laia E. Cano"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Siu-Chung Chan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Samuel I. Fidler"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ellen M. G. Jamieson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Michael J. O’Sullivan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Lygia Silva de Moraes"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yiqiao Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Charlie T. McTernan",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1359-0663"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dn84ppj4n4brk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "dn84ppj4n4brk",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1605|Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221468657",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-11",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dn84ppj4n4brk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1605|Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes",
      "subfield": "organic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Following Nature’s Lead – Pillar[n]arene Phosphates as Versatile Molecular Hosts",
  "title_text": "Following Nature’s Lead – Pillar[n]arene Phosphates as Versatile Molecular Hosts",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dn84ppj4n4brk",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}