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    Heterocyclic‐Fused Squaramides: Anionophores With Antimicrobial Activity


    Brennan, Luke Edward, Hawes, Chris Samuel, Kavanagh, Kevin and Elmes, Robert Brian Peter (2026) Heterocyclic‐Fused Squaramides: Anionophores With Antimicrobial Activity. ChemBioChem, 27 (5). ISSN 1439-4227

    Abstract

    Antimicrobial resistance is regarded as one of the foremost public health risks of the 21st century, highlighting the need for new antimicrobial agents and chemical tools to interrogate their biological activity. Artificial transmembrane anion transporters have emerged as promising supramolecular scaffolds in this context, having demonstrated membrane activity in mammalian systems and showing growing potential in antimicrobial research. Here, we report a series of heterocycle‐fused squaramide anionophores capable of binding and transporting chloride. Several members of this series display measurable antimicrobial activity, alongside evidence of intracellular chloride modulation in bacterial cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that membrane localisation and anion transport are important contributing factors to the observed antimicrobial effects, and support further investigation of squaramide‐based anionophores as membrane‐active chemical biology tools.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: anion transport; antimicrobial resistance; chemical biology; squaramides; supramolecular chemistry;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
    Item ID: 21425
    Identification Number: 10.1002/cbic.202500680
    Depositing User: Dr. Kevin Kavanagh
    Date Deposited: 13 Apr 2026 16:00
    Journal or Publication Title: ChemBioChem
    Publisher: Wiley
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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