Controlling the assembly of cyclotriveratrylene-derived coordination cages

A review of the emerging field of cyclotriveratrylene-derived coordination cages is presented. Ligand-functionalised cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) derivatives self-assemble with a range of metal cations to afford coordination cages, polymers and topologically non-trivial constructs, such as [2]catenanes and a self-entangled cube. Increased control over their self-assembly allows for the controlled and predictable formation of well-defined coordination cages for application in host–guest and recognition chemistry, with surfactant binding and single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCTSC) uptake of small-molecule guests being observed.