2,6-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine as a potent transmembrane anion transporter.

2,6-Bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine was shown to exhibit potent anionophoric activity via a process of both Cl − /NO 3 − antiport and H + /Cl − symport. This is in sharp contrast to the finding that its corresponding N -methylated analog exhibited negligible activity and reveals the importance of the imidazolyl-N H fragments in the anion-transport process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]