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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Following Nature’s Lead – Pillar[n]arene Phosphates as Versatile Molecular Hosts

  • Edvinas Ališauskas1,2
  • Laia E. Cano1,2
  • Siu-Chung Chan1,2
  • Samuel I. Fidler1,2
  • Ellen M. G. Jamieson1,2
  • Michael J. O’Sullivan1,2
  • Lygia Silva de Moraes2
  • Yiqiao Wang1,2,3
  • Charlie T. McTernan1,2
  1. 1Artificial Molecular Machines Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, U.K., NW1 1AT
  2. 2Department of Chemistry, King’s College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, London, U.K., SE1 1DB
  3. 3Department of Chemistry, University College of London, Christopher Ingold Building, 20 Gordon St, U.K., WC1H 0AJ
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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.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{alisauskas2026following,
  title = {{Following Nature’s Lead – Pillar[n]arene Phosphates as Versatile Molecular Hosts}},
  author = {Edvinas Ališauskas and Laia E. Cano and Siu-Chung Chan and Samuel I. Fidler and Ellen M. G. Jamieson and Michael J. O’Sullivan and Lygia Silva de Moraes and Yiqiao Wang and Charlie T. McTernan},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Following Nature’s Lead – Pillar[n]arene Phosphates as Versatile Molecular Hosts
AU  - Edvinas Ališauskas
AU  - Laia E. Cano
AU  - Siu-Chung Chan
AU  - Samuel I. Fidler
AU  - Ellen M. G. Jamieson
AU  - Michael J. O’Sullivan
AU  - Lygia Silva de Moraes
AU  - Yiqiao Wang
AU  - Charlie T. McTernan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/11
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010213/v1
AB  - 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.
ER  -