Complexation of Aliphatic Ammonium Ions with a Water-Soluble Cucurbit[6]uril Derivative in Pure Water: Isothermal Calorimetric, NMR, and X-ray Crystallographic Study

Organic switches for surfaces and devices

The pursuit to achieve miniaturization has tantalized researchers across the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and engineering for over half a century because of its many alluring potential applications. As alternatives to traditional "top-down" manufacturing, "bottom-up" approaches, originating from the (supra)molecular level, have enabled researchers to develop switches which can be manipulated on surfaces at nanoscale dimensions with deft precision using simple external triggers. Once on surfaces, these organic switches have been shown to modulate both the physical and chemical surface properties. In this Progress Report, we shed light on recent advances made in our laboratories towards integrated systems using all-organic switches on a variety of substrates. Design concepts are revealed, as well as the overall impact of all-organic switches on the properties of their substrates, while emphasizing the considerable promise and formidable challenges these advanced composite materials pose when it comes to conferring function on them.

In situ supramolecular assembly and modular modification of hyaluronic acid hydrogels for 3D cellular engineering

A facile in situ supramolecular assembly and modular modification of biocompatible hydrogels were demonstrated using cucurbit[6]uril-conjugated hyaluronic acid (CB[6]-HA), diaminohexane-conjugated HA (DAH-HA), and tags-CB[6] for cellular engineering applications. The strong and selective host-guest interaction between CB[6] and DAH made possible the supramolecular assembly of CB[6]/DAH-HA hydrogels in the presence of cells. Then, the 3D environment of CB[6]/DAH-HA hydrogels was modularly modified by the simple treatment with various multifunctional tags-CB[6]. Furthermore, we could confirm in situ formation of CB[6]/DAH-HA hydrogels under the skin of nude mice by sequential subcutaneous injections of CB[6]-HA and DAH-HA solutions. The fluorescence of modularly modified fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-CB[6] in the hydrogels was maintained for up to 11 days, reflecting the feasibility to deliver the proper cues for cellular proliferation and differentiation in the body. Taken together, CB[6]/DAH-HA hydrogels might be successfully exploited as a 3D artificial extracellular matrix for various tissue engineering applications.

Force and Stress along Simulated Dissociation Pathways of Cucurbituril-Guest Systems

The field of host-guest chemistry provides computationally tractable yet informative model systems for biomolecular recognition. We applied molecular dynamics simulations to study the forces and mechanical stresses associated with forced dissociation of aqueous cucurbituril-guest complexes with high binding affinities. First, the unbinding transitions were modeled with constant velocity pulling (steered dynamics) and a soft spring constant, to model atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. The computed length-force profiles yield rupture forces in good agreement with available measurements. We also used steered dynamics with high spring constants to generate paths characterized by a tight control over the specified pulling distance; these paths were then equilibrated via umbrella sampling simulations and used to compute time-averaged mechanical stresses along the dissociation pathways. The stress calculations proved to be informative regarding the key interactions determining the length-force profiles and rupture forces. In particular, the unbinding transition of one complex is found to be a stepwise process, which is initially dominated by electrostatic interactions between the guest's ammoniums and the host's carbonyl groups, and subsequently limited by the extraction of the guest's bulky bicyclooctane moiety; the latter step requires some bond stretching at the cucurbituril's extraction portal. Conversely, the dissociation of a second complex with a more slender guest is mainly driven by successive electrostatic interactions between the different guest's ammoniums and the host's carbonyl groups. The calculations also provide information on the origins of thermodynamic irreversibilities in these forced dissociation processes.

A new photo-switchable "on-off" host-guest system

A new photo-switchable "on-off" host-guest system comprising cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and a photoresponsive cinnamamide derivative (trans-(3-phenyl-acryloylamino)-acetic acid, E-1) is studied. The cinnamamide derivative and CB[7] forms a stable 1 : 1 host-guest complex (CB[7]·E-1) with a high binding constant (K = 2.1 × 10(4) M(-1)). Irradiation of UV light (300 nm) to an aqueous solution of CB[7]·E-1 induces the E- to Z-conformational change of the cinnamamide derivative, which then leads to the dissociation of the complex as evidenced by UV-visible and (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. The reverse process, photo-induced host-guest complex formation between CB[7] and Z-1 is achieved by irradiation of UV light at 254 nm. The photo-switchable "on-off" host-guest system shows high reversibility and switching efficiency, which makes it potentially useful in designing photoresponsive gating systems.

Reduction-sensitive, robust vesicles with a non-covalently modifiable surface as a multifunctional drug-delivery platform

The design and synthesis of a novel reduction-sensitive, robust, and biocompatible vesicle (SSCB[6]VC) are reported, which is self-assembled from an amphiphilic cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) derivative that contains disulfide bonds between hexaethylene glycol units and a CB[6] core. The remarkable features of SSCB[6]VC include: 1) facile, non-destructive, non-covalent, and modular surface modification using exceptionally strong host-guest chemistry; 2) high structural stability; 3) facile internalization into targeted cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis, and 4) efficient triggered release of entrapped drugs in a reducing environment such as cytoplasm. Furthermore, a significantly increased cytotoxicity of the anticancer drug doxorubicin to cancer cells is demonstrated using doxorubicin-loaded SSCB[6]VC, the surface of which is decorated with functional moieties such as a folate-spermidine conjugate and fluorescein isothiocyanate-spermidine conjugate as targeting ligand and fluorescence imaging probe, respectively. SSCB[6]VC with such unique features can be used as a highly versatile multifunctional platform for targeted drug delivery, which may find useful applications in cancer therapy. This novel strategy based on supramolecular chemistry and the unique properties of CB[6] can be extended to design smart multifunctional materials for biomedical applications including gene delivery.

Molecular recognition of organic ammonium ions in solution using synthetic receptors

Ammonium ions are ubiquitous in chemistry and molecular biology. Considerable efforts have been undertaken to develop synthetic receptors for their selective molecular recognition. The type of host compounds for organic ammonium ion binding span a wide range from crown ethers to calixarenes to metal complexes. Typical intermolecular interactions are hydrogen bonds, electrostatic and cation-π interactions, hydrophobic interactions or reversible covalent bond formation. In this review we discuss the different classes of synthetic receptors for organic ammonium ion recognition and illustrate the scope and limitations of each class with selected examples from the recent literature. The molecular recognition of ammonium ions in amino acids is included and the enantioselective binding of chiral ammonium ions by synthetic receptors is also covered. In our conclusion we compare the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of ammonium ion receptors which may help to select the best approach for specific applications.

Microwave synthesis of cucurbit[n]urils

Background: Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]; n = 5, 6, 7, 8 or 10) are a family of macrocycles made from the acid-catalyzed condensation of glycoluril and formaldehyde. Results: The synthesis of CB[n] using microwave radiation has been examined and the effect of acid type, reaction time and temperature on the distribution of products has been determined. Synthesis in HCl yields CB[5], CB[6], CB[7] and CB[8] in 10 min and is most efficient at 160°C. Synthesis in H2SO4yields mostly CB[6] in 3 min and is most efficient at 160°C. Conclusion: Microwave synthesis provides an efficient and cost-effective method for the large-scale production of CB[n] for a range of applications, particularly drug delivery.

Host-guest complexes and pseudorotaxanes of cucurbit[7]uril with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Pseudorotaxanes may be assembled in aqueous solution using dicationic acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as succinylcholine, BW284c51, and alpha,omega-bis(trialkylammonium)alkane dications (or their phosphonium analogues), as bolaform axles and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) as the wheel. With the exceptions of the shorter [(CH(3))(3)N(CH(2))(n)N(CH(3))(3)](2+) (n = 6, 8) dications, the addition of a second CB[7] results in the translocation of the first CB[7], such that the hydrophobic -NR(3)(+) and -PR(3)(+) end groups (R = Me or Et) are located in the cavities of the wheels, while the central portion of the axles extend through the CB[7] portals into the bulk solvent. In the case of the [Quin(CH(2))(10)Quin](2+) (Quin = quinuclidinium) dication, the CB[7] host(s) resides only on the quinuclidinium end group(s). The 1:1 host-guest stability constants range from 8 x 10(6) to 3 x 10(10) M(-1) and are dependent on both the nature of the end group as well as the length and hydrophobicity of the central linker. The magnitude of the stability constants for the 2:1 complexes closely follow the trend observed previously for CB[7] binding with the NR(4)(+) and PR(4)(+) cations.

Galactosylated cucurbituril-inclusion polyplex for hepatocyte-targeted gene delivery

The work demonstrates a judicious approach to achieve hepatocyte cell-targeted highly efficient gene delivery by utilizing a supramolecular complex of galactosylated cucurbituril and dextran-spermine conjugates.