Pillararene-based host–guest recognition facilitated magnetic separation and enrichment of cell membrane proteins

Abstract

Here we report a new strategy to separate and enrich cell membrane proteins by means of pillararene-based host–guest recognition and magnetic solid-phase extraction. Due to the high affinity between a water-soluble per-phosphate pillar[5]arene (WP5-P) and its cationic guest, after coating WP5-P on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, the modified nanoparticles exhibited both magnetic responsiveness and host–guest recognition ability. Furthermore, the WP5-P modified magnetic nanoparticles were successfully applied in separating and enriching guest-tagged cell membrane proteins by means of an external magnetic field from a cell lysate.