1.D.320.  The Hyperbranched Polymer-Based Proton Transporter (HPPH3) Family  

Li et al. 2025 reported a hyperbranched polymer (HBP)-derived biomimetic multipath proton transport system, H3, by a straightforward "one-pot" cationic polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)-oxetane. H3 efficiently transports protons while rejecting other ions and water molecules by forming multiple hydrogen bonding chains like natural proton channels. Patch clamp experiments revealed that H3 facilitates rapid proton transport (γH+ = 181 ± 4 pS) comparable to that of natural gramicidin A (γH+ = 213 ± 4 pS) and demonstrates high H+-selectivity, with PH+/PK+, PH+/PNa+, and PH+/PCl- values reaching 78.4, 233.2, and 167.8, respectively. H3-induced proton transport causes elevated lysosomal pH and mitochondrial damage, ultimately resulting in severe cancer cell apoptosis (IC50: 0.23 µM for U87MG; 1.04 µM for B16F10). Selenide moieties-containing H3-Se exhibits an in situ redox-switchable "ON-OFF" of proton transport by regulating its hydrophilicity (Li et al. 2025).


 

References:

Li, C., Y. Wu, S. Bao, Z. Xu, J. Yan, H. Li, X. Yu, Z. Weng, J. Xu, T. Wang, Y. Zhou, T. Yan, Y. Yan, and J. Liu. (2025). Hyperbranched Polymer-Based Multipath Proton Transmembrane Transport System with Redox-Switchable Characteristics for Cancer Cell Apoptosis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 64: e202500986.