Themed collection Cucurbiturils and related cavitands

Cucurbituril analogues can bear some of the chemical and physical characteristics of their parental origin and are derived wholly or in part from glycolurils (including homologues).

Associations of hydrophobic cavities with porphyrin derivatives used to mimic haemoprotein structures are featured in this article and may inspire innovative research in the field of cucurbiturils.

In this feature article, the two types (molecular amphiphile and supramolecular amphiphile) of CB-based amphiphiles, their self-assemblies and their applications for useful nanotherapeutics and theranostics are presented with future perspectives.

A new way to detect target proteins is developed using a high-affinity host–guest interaction for a wide variety of biological samples including bacteria and mammalian cells.

Additional Q7 binding sites drive protein aggregation in solution and statistical disorder in the crystalline biohybrid suggest new possibilities for protein-based materials.

Chiral cyclohexanohemicucurbit[n]urils with multiple interaction sites induce chirality on planar zinc porphyrins and bind up to three porphyrin molecules.

Specific yet dynamic interaction in cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) system was used to obtain programmable fluorescence blinking with necessary brightness and frequency to enable two-dimensional (2D) and 3D super-resolution imaging of proteins in cells.

Q[8]-based honeycomb-like frameworks could be obtained in [AuCl₄]⁻ free aqueous HNO3 solution, aqueous HCl and HNO3 solutions that contain [AuCl₄]⁻. These frameworks exhibit a high selectivity for imprisoning [AuCl₄]⁻.

The amelioration of antibacterial efficacy along with the reduced minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of sanguinarine (SGR) drug have been demonstrated through the uptake of SGR by p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene functionalized silver nanoparticles.

A pH clock directed transient supramolecular peptide amphiphile and its vesicular assembly using ternary complexation of cucurbit[8]uril is displayed.

The redox property of a ferrocene derivative is modulated by cucurbit[7]uril, thus accelerating the catalytic oxidation of dye chromophores.

A putrescine derivative of aminomethyladamantane is established as a ditopic guest with two mutually exclusive binding sites for cucurbit[6]uril and cucurbit[7]uril.

High binding constants of 19 inorganic cations with the cucurbit[n]uril homologues (CBn, n = 5, 6, 7, 8) in water were determined and the far-reaching consequences and interferences of the high affinities (millimolar to micromolar) are discussed.

Dual-functionalized mesoporous silica nanobeans capable of GSH-dependent turn-on fluorescence and stimuli-responsive drug release are prepared for tumor inhibition and imaging.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) type crystals in which rigid, viologen-based pillars are surrounded by cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) macrocycles are described.

The first example of the preparation of nitrogen-doped holey carbon (NHC) with abundant in-plane holes derived from a rigid macrocycle cucurbit[6]uril self-assembly is reported.

Supramolecular nanocapsules with both SOD and GPx activities were constructed by the ternary host–guest complexation of azobenzene (Azo) and methylviologen (MV) to cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and the subsequent self-assembly.

The formation of host–guest complexes between cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) and a tetracationic calix[4]arene derivative in the so-called cone conformation was investigated by ¹H NMR, DOSY NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry and ESI-MS.

Cucurbit[7]uril functionalized Au nanorods allowed noncovalently tailorable surface modification for image-guided, targeted chemo-photothermal cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo.

Cucurbit[8]uril-mediated pseudo[2,3]rotaxanes constrain chromophores into dimeric stacks with effective electron-delocalisation along the long-molecular axis.

Guest back-folding increases squaraine affinity for a new tetralactam macrocycle 370-fold in water.

The trans- and cis conformations of 5,5′-substituted 2,2′-dithiophenes can be stabilized when those are secured with two Cucurbit[8]uril macrocycles (CB[8]) on top of rigid 2,6- and 2,7-substituted naphthalenes, which respectively mimic the trans and cis conformations of the dithiophene.

A series of decamethylcucurbit[5]uril based supramolecular assemblies were successfully synthesized and explored as efficient electrocatalysts towards the oxygen reduction reaction.

Host–guest supramolecular hydrogels are prepared from light-responsive guests within a CB[8] cavitand, and the complex catalyzes reversible guest photodimerization.

A host–guest FRET pair based on a carboxyfluorescein-labelled cucurbit[7]uril and DAPI was developed to sense DNA ratiometrically.