Themed collection Most popular 2018-2019 supramolecular chemistry articles

Electrochemically controllable rotaxanes are prime examples of supramolecular switches and promising prototypes for artificial molecular machines. This perspective discusses recent progress and applications beyond classical molecular shuttles.

Porous crystalline metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as a new class of proton conductors through the hydrogen-bonded degenerate system.

This perspective describes the construction of 0D–3D organic and polymeric architectures using “robust” supramolecular scaffolds.

The non-covalent interactions between polyoxometalates and inorganic- and organic-based moieties give rise to functional nanoassemblies with diverse potential in applied science.

Herein we report on the well-documented, yet not widely known, phenomenon of the self-disproportionation of enantiomers (SDE): the spontaneous fractionation of scalemic material into enantioenriched and -depleted fractions when any physicochemical process is applied.

The first system to combine the orthogonality of alkyne metathesis and dynamic imine exchange is reported for the preparation of a molecular cage with a reversibly removable vertex.

Parameters that provide a quantitative description of the free energy of interaction of cations with any H-bond acceptor in any solvent have been experimentally determined.

A switchable perylene monoimide which undergoes reversible morphological and electronic changes controlled by the ionization state of the phenolic oxygen.

Lateral interactions enhance the guest inclusion and peripheral complexation within a highly charged covalent cage.

Metal–organic framework minerals stepanovite and zhemchuzhnikovite can exhibit high proton conduction and structure retention on dehydration.

A photoresponsive supramolecular assembly was constructed and presented multi-color fluorescence emissions in several environments including solution, PVA and living cells.

Self-assembling macrobicyclic cryptand-type organic cages display remarkable self-sorting behavior with efficient component selection.

Stimuli-responsive polyacrylamide hydrogels crosslinked by glucosamine–boronate/G-quadruplexes or azobenzene-functionalized DNA reveal controlled stiffness using chemical or photochemical triggers.

We report a soluble yet crystalline covalent organic framework (COF) by regulation of inter-layer interactions, which endows the COF with remarkable solubility and processability of thin films for optoelectronic devices that exhibit high yet anisotropic conductivities and outperform all the other COF-based semiconductors.

From waste to wealth – a self-assembled hydrogel remediates palladium from solution down to sub-ppm levels, and the resulting gel, which has embedded Pd nanoparticles, acts as a green and efficient catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.

The top layer of a two-layer 3D code can be delaminated and removed by exposure to a chloride anion source.

Photoresponsive hydrogels crosslinked by trans-azobenzene/β-cyclodextrin and duplex DNA or K⁺-G-quadruplex are described. The hydrogels reveal shape-memory functions and self-healing properties.

A water-soluble perylene bisimide dye self-assembles in aqueous media into thermoresponsive aqua materials with photoluminescence within the biological transparency window.

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding directly to halogen bond donors preorganizes molecular structure and strengthens halogen bonding.

White-light emission from a single molecule was realized and tuned via multistimuli including excitation, solvent polarity, temperature and host–guest interactions.

Only stable in the dark: when mixed with a metastable-state photoacid, metallasupramolecular structures become light sensitive. The photo-induced disassembly of the structures is reversed when the light is switched off.

Modularly tunable monopeptidic scaffold enables rapid and combinatorial evolution of a halogen bond-mediated highly active chloride channel, exhibiting an excellent anticancer activity toward human breast cancer.

We have developed a novel AND logic based fluorescence probe for the simultaneous detection of ONOO⁻ and GSH (GSH-PF3).

XBphos-Rh constitutes the first example of halogen bonding as the driving force behind the assembly of a transition-metal catalyst for hydroborations.

Phosphate–phosphate oligomerization is shown to drive its recognition properties as revealed in co-assemblies with stackable macrocyclic hosts.

Time-resolved IR spectra indicated fast electron transfer from the reduced photosensitizer to the catalyst.

Self-assembly studies of a model compound of bacteriochlorophyll revealed the formation of nanoparticles as off-pathway and nanofibers as on-pathway products.

A well-designed macrocycle affords nanomolar binding to a cancer biomarker lysophosphatidic acid, showing potential application in the diagnosis of gynecologic cancers.

Cage-templated synthesis of narrowly distributed palladium nanoparticles (1.8 ± 0.2 nm) and their high catalytic activity in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions are reported.

Metal–organic layers stabilize Fe^II or Co^II-terpyridine diradical complexes to catalyze alkylazide C_sp³–H amination and benzylic C–H borylation, respectively.