Active Transport of Amino Acids by a Guanidiniocarbonyl–Pyrrole Receptor

Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of a transporter 9 for N-acetylated amino acids. Transporter 9 is a conjugate of a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation, one of the most efficient carboxylate binding motifs reported so far, and a hydrophobic tris(dodecylbenzyl) group, which ensures solubility in organic solvents. In its protonated form, 9 binds N-acetylated amino acid carboxylates in wet organic solvents with association constants in the range of 10 4 M -1 as estimated by extraction experiments. Aromatic amino acids are preferred due to additional cation-π-interactions of the amino acid side chain with the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole moiety. U-tube experiments established efficient transport across a bulk liquid chloroform phase with fluxes approaching 10 -6 molm -2 s -1 . In experiments with single substrates, the release rate of the amino acid from the receptor-substrate complex at the interface with the receiving phase is rate determining. In contrast to this, in competition experiments with several substrates, the thermodynamic affinity to 9 becomes decisive. As 9 can only transport anions in its protonated form and has a pK a value of approximately 7, pH-driven active transport of amino acids is also possible. Transport occurs as a symport of the amino acid carboxylate and a proton.