Themed collection Most popular 2021 supramolecular chemistry articles, 2021

Various families of light-driven rotary molecular motors and the key aspects of motor design are discussed. Comparisons are made between the strengths and weaknesses of each motor. Challenges, applications, and future prospects are explored.

This Perspective summarizes the recent developments of supramolecular radical cages including the design and synthesis of radical cages, their interesting host–guest spin–spin interactions and applications in radical-mediated/catalyzed reactions.

A perspective view of direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ and its role in mitigating climate change is presented. The article focuses on a promising approach to DAC involving crystal engineering of metal–organic and hydrogen-bonded frameworks.

This perspective deviates from exclusively focusing on structural features of actinide-containing metal-organic frameworks and pivots towards their prospect as avant-garde materials with an emphasis on their physicochemical properties.

MOFs are promising candidates for the capture of toxic gases such as SO₂, H₂S, NH₃ and NOx. Understanding the role of different chemical functionalities, within the pores of MOFs, is the key for accomplishing superior captures of these toxic gases.

The recent synthesis of novel shape-persistent 2D and 3D molecular architectures via alkyne metathesis is reviewed and the critical role of catalysts is also highlighted.

This review highlights recent strategies towards the rational synthesis of metallo-supramolecular multicomponent systems, the implementation of functionality and the challenge to create multifunctional assemblies in non-statistical fashion.

This review provides a summary of important research progress on supramolecular systems that can be used to combine photodynamic therapy (PDT) with photothermal therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy to compensate for the shortcomings of PDT.

This minireview highlights advances in anion binding and sensing using luminescent lanthanide(III) complexes.

Two barbiturate dyes with regioisomeric thiophene-cored twisted π-systems show strongly enhanced emission through supramolecular polymerization. The supramolecular polymers thus formed exhibit distinct emission colors and degree of agglomeration.

In this manuscript, we report the development of a novel alloxazine COF inspired by naturally occurring flavin cofactors for photoredox catalysis.

The MOF-to-HOF transformation was realized in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal manner by the oxidation and hydration of the Cu^I center in Cu^I-TTFTB. The corbelled S⋯S and π⋯π interactions ensured the framework stability during transformation.

A novel pillar[5]arene-derived (P5) COF was rationally designed and synthesized, which exhibited superior performance in selective gas adsorption and paraquat binding.

The methylene-bridged trianglamine (TA) can selectively capture 1-chlorobutane from a mixture of 1-chlorobutane and 2-chlorobutane due to the greater thermodynamic stability of the TA-based host–guest complex formed with 1-chlorobutane.

A robust, dimeric capsule forms quantitatively in low-polarity solvents via a seam of 8 hydrogen bonds. The resulting electron-rich cavity selectively binds small organic cations over neutral counterparts.

Stereolabile pillar[5]arene derivatives, which are dynamic racemic mixtures in solution on account of their low inversion barriers, were employed as platforms to study chiral symmetry breaking during crystallisation.

Polarization-dependent infrared spectroscopy of oriented metal organic framework films fills the information gap left by diffraction methods and gives access to the orientation of the aromatic linker and initial orientation of ultra-thin films.

Fluorescence-detected circular dichroism (FDCD) spectroscopy is applied for the first time to supramolecular host–guest and host–protein systems and compared to the more known electronic circular dichroism (ECD).

Metal–organic frameworks enable the delivery of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), an endogenous gasotransmitter with potential therapeutic value for treating disorders such as ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The novel tripodal complexes isomerize in response to environmental change, and well-defined self-assemblies were quantitatively produced by imine bond formation.

The allure of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in heterogeneous electrocatalysis is that catalytically active sites may be designed a priori with an unparalleled degree of control.

Triplet energy transfer enables efficient Z-to-E photoswitching of azobenzenes even with near-infrared light. Ultrafast intersystem crossing of azobenzene makes the process entropy-driven and enables the use of endothermic sensitizer-azobenzene pairs.

The addition of TFA can trigger the interlay sliding of 2D copper(I) organic frameworks prepared by combing the chemistry of MOFs and COFs. The variation of interlay stacking largely affected the porosity, chemical stability and catalytic activities.

We report the successful use of a gastro-resistant covalent organic framework for in vivo oral delivery of insulin.

Herein, we use a supramolecular coordination cage as a catalyst for the reduction of aldehydes to the corresponding alcohols using a weak hydride donor in neutral water, with a mode of action reminiscent of natural enzymes.

Star-shaped cogwheel prototypes incorporating one sterically- or chemically-labelled porphyrinic paddle were designed and synthesised with the aim of achieving intermolecular gearing on surfaces.

An unsymmetrical molecular shuttle was incorporated into the octahedral cavities of a Zr(IV) MOF. ¹³C SSNMR showed that the presence of mesitylene in the pores results in an increase in the barriers for the thermally driven motion of the macrocycle.

We report the liquid-phase ultrasonic exfoliation of two layered hydrogen-bonded frameworks into monolayer, micron-sized, and water-stable nanosheets (HONs) connected purely by hydrogen-bonding interactions.

NoSpherA2 brings quantum crystallography to routine structure determination and to the analysis of chemical properties for any class of materials.

A mechanistic study of the diastereoselective cyclization of interlocked fumaramides to give β-lactams unveils the key factors for successfully taming the process.