Superchaotropic polyoxometalates as membrane carriers

In the realm of pharmaceutical drug delivery and bioimaging, the innovative design of membrane transporters is crucial. This highlight article focuses on the recent collaborative study published in Advanced Materials (DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309219) between the research groups of Nau and Rompel, investigating Keggin and Anderson-Evans type polyoxometalates (POMs) as superchaotropic carriers in both model membranes and live cells under physiological conditions. The Kegginoidal POM carriers, at concentrations as low as 5 µM, successfully transport various oligo- and polypeptides, surpassing the performance of boron clusters (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04413-w).