Supramolecular assembly of a methyl-substituted cucurbit[6]uril and its potential applications in selective sorption

Abstract

Assembly of a methyl-substituted cucurbit[6]uril derived from 3α-methyl-glycoluril (HMeQ[6]) has been studied. A supramolecular assembly has been formed in aqueous HCl solution through the outer-surface interactions of HMeQ[6] molecules. This supramolecular assembly has a porous structure with potential for applications in the selective sorption of polar volatile organics, which may be useful in molecular sieves, sensors, absorption and separation.