Mechanoelectrical\nTransduction through Anion Recognition\nwith Naphthalenediimide Monolayers at the Air–Water Interface

In biological systems, various stimuli and energies are\ntransduced\ninto membrane potentials via ion transport or binding. The application\nof this concept to artificial devices may result in biomimetic signal\ntransmitters and energy harvesters. In this study, we investigated\nthe mechanical control of fluoride anion recognition with naphthalenediimide\n(NDI) monolayers at the air–water interface. Similar to the\nmechanosensitive ion channels in biological membranes, mechanical\nstimuli modulated the packing manner of the NDI monolayers, which\nreproducibly triggered anion binding and concomitant shifts in the\nmembrane potential. Furthermore, mechanical stimuli resulted in anion\nbinding or release, depending on the structure of the alkyl side chains\nattached to the NDI core, which was explained by the difference in\nthe packing manner of the NDI monolayers. These findings provide insights\ninto the development of novel mechanoelectrical transduction systems\nthat mimic biological processes.