Themed collection FOCUS: Macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry

Modification of crown ethers via grafting of functional groups represents a convenient yet underexplored tool.

This review illustrates a variety of luminescent chemosensors for the selective detection of assorted phosphates via the “Turn-On” emission mechanism with focus on their design aspects, chemical structures and sensing mechanism.

In order to better understand the structure and function of biological cell membranes, various artificial systems have been developed.

This review article provides a detailed overview of pyrene containing colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensors based on different binding mechanisms which fulfill the criteria of affinity, selectivity and sensitivity.

Design strategies for activatable photosensitizers (aPSs) in response to tumor-associated stimuli.

In this review, an up-to-date summary of various reports on cyanide-responsive gels emphasizing the approaches, design principles, and reaction mechanisms has been discussed eloquently.

Progress of ‘functionally cooperating systems’ is reviewed with emphasis on self-propulsion including design of material systems for applications in mini-generators based on horizontal/vertical motions, self-assembly, and directed transportation.

[Ln₂L₄]²⁻ helicates easily undergo transmetalation. The lanthanide ionic radius difference (ΔEIR) strongly affects the kinetics of the dynamic process while the thermodynamics is independent and mainly entropy driven.

A combination of chalcogen bonds, one type of emerging non-covalent bonding force, and imine bonds, allow the control of the dynamic covalent chemistry with orbital interactions and the reversal of kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity.

Chiral aggregates of achiral aza-BODIPY 1 was obtained in a nearly achiral medium, i.e. a limonene/MCH mixed solvent with a chiral limonene ratio <1% (v/v), by living supramolecular polymerization exploiting the chirality memory of dye 1 aggregates.

Achiral Cu₅⁻ cluster coassembled with a chiral amphiphile to afford helical nanotubes, where the Cu₅⁻ cluster was confined within the nanotubes, forming helical arrangement with emerged chiroptical activities (CD and CPP), with a large g_abs up to 0.018.

A porous supramolecular framework heterogeneously catalyzed the oxidative synthesis of sulfoxides and the detoxification of mustard gas simulants with a low molar O/S ratio.

A dynamic afterglow security label, with wavelength-dependent, temperature-switchable, time-resolved and nanozyme-responsive quad-modulation characteristics and visual verification capability is developed.

We report a novel elastomer possessing high stretchability, elasticity and self-healing ability, achieved by thio-β-diketone-Cu(II) coordination and H-bonding dual crosslinking. Flexible sensors are fabricated based on the elastomer.

Complexation between ligand and metal ions with strong binding ability (Co, Zn) afforded tetrameric cages, while trimeric cage can be achieved using weaker binding metal ion (Cd).

We report the self-assembly of a distinct type of four-membered metallacycles with tunable pore microenvironments capable of selective anion transmembrane transport.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been extensively studied as a noninvasive treatment option; however, the current PDT agents are often restricted with poor solubility, difficult accumulation in tumor sites, low singlet oxygen yield and low penetration depth.

A water-soluble porous supramolecular polymer is assembled through a CB[8]-based 2 + 2 host–guest binding motif, which can greatly increase the efficiency of photocatalysis.

Chemically reaction triggered formation of supramolecular gels and enhancement of emission.

Each PdO₄ plane of Pd₃(OAc)₆ behaved as a 5-center nucleophile (O lone pairs and the d_z²-Pd^II orbital) that interacts with π-donating arenes to afford highly polar circular stacking, where organics wrapped inorganics.

A supramolecular dual-donor artificial light-harvesting system with efficient visible light-harvesting capacity was constructed through the hierarchical self-assembly approach.

Three [3]catenanes were fabricated in high efficiency through the self-assembly of a 90° platinum(II) receptor, a flexible bis(4,4′-bipyridinium) donor and a crown ether (DB24C8 or DB30C10).

Versatile enantiopure helical systems are described and are of interest owing to their intense chiroptical responses, their attractive architecture for metallosupramolecular chemistry and CISS effect.

Herein, we have designed and synthesized a series of aryl carbazole-based macrocycles and their stable radical cation species and interesting fullerene recognition were systematically investigated.

Interlocked organocatalysts show enhanced catalytic performance when compared with their non-interlocked threads.The ring cooperatively activates the substrates, facilitating the formation and stabilization of catalytically active intermediates.

For uracil-functionalized BODIPY dyes 1a–c, AIEE upon H-bonding directed J-aggregation was observed for the two dyes bearing alkyne groups at boron while the BF₂-chelated dye displayed ACQ, indicating the crucial role of the substituents at boron.

Here, we report a novel [2]pseudorotaxane based on perbromoethylated pillar[5]arene/imidazolium iodide ionic liquid ion-pair recognition and this pseudorotaxane shows supramolecular interaction induced LCST behavior in solution.

Dual-stimuli pseudorotaxane switches: Threaded complexes dissociate upon deprotonation or oxidation. A mechanical bond changes the influence of a ‘speed bump’ on the outcome of a switching event.

A series of clover-like supramolecular structures were designed and synthesized using a combination of Ru–Zn, Ru–Co, Ru–Mn or Ru–Ni metal ions. These structures with distinct redox properties may have further applications as functional materials.

Three luminescent tetranuclear macrocycles are obtained selectively, applying coordination-driven supramolecular processes to the reaction of 3,3′-bipyridine ligand with in situ formed Cu(I) bimetallic units bearing a coordination angle of ca. 120°.

The synthesis and structural analyses of corannulene-PAH hybrids 1 with a [4] helicene subunit and 2 with a [7] helicene subunit have been reported.

Fluorescent mono-phosphonate calix[4]pyrrole cavitands display selectivity in amino acids' sensing.

The nature of metals in the isostructural series of dithiocarbamate complexes affects the electron belt-to-σ-hole switch of noncovalently bound iodine(I) leading to either semicoordination, or halogen bonding.

The quantum yield and emission lifetime of the inclusion complexes can be fine-tuned via the variation of halobenzene guests.

An azobenzene-bridged perylene bisimide cyclophane was designed and synthesized, which showed reversible fluorescence intensity switching under light-irradiation due to cooperative adjustments of PBI–PBI and PBI–Azo interactions.

A sequence-controlled supramolecular copolymer was constructed by self-sorting assembly of metal coordination and two types of host–guest interactions.

Facilitated by Pt⋯Pt, π–π stacking and hydrophobic interactions, a new series of dinuclear anthracene-containing alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complexes is found to exhibit intriguing photo-modulated self-assembly behaviors upon photooxygenation.

This research revealed a class of fluorescent materials which have a response to humidity, based on simple small molecules via a CB[8]-based supramolecular assembly strategy, in which the materials’ fluorescent properties can be dynamically controlled.

In this article, well-defined radical metallacycles were efficiently constructed through coordination-driven self-assembly, which displayed interesting chiral self-sorting behavior as well as very weak radical-based luminescence.

Amino acids have emerged as promising molecular frameworks for the generation of functional materials owing to the bio-compatibility and thermodynamic stability of their self-assembled architectures.

Supramolecular nanoparticles with enhanced aggregation-induced emission are prepared by taking advantage of pillar[5]arene-based host–guest complexation, and are sophisticated nanocarriers for imaging-guided drug delivery.

Dynamic assemblies of π-conjugated bispyridinium guests with cucurbit[8]uril in aqueous solution could be distinguished by real-time naked-eye observation of the resulting quantitative fluorescence emissions.