Transmembrane fluoride anion transport by meso -3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl picket calix[4]pyrrole.

Meso -3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl picket calix[4]pyrrole 1 displays excellent fluoride anion transport activity across artificial lipid bilayers showing EC 50 = 2.15 μM (at 450 s in EYPC vesicle) with high fluoride over chloride ion selectivity. The high fluoride selectivity of 1 was ascribed to the formation of a sandwich type π-anion-π interaction complex.