Mono-allyloxylated Cucurbit[7]uril Acts as an Unconventional Amphiphile To Form Light-Responsive Vesicles

Self-sorted Compartmentalization by Simultaneous Use of Natural and Synthetic Amphiphiles

Exploiting the orthogonal molecular interactions of natural (phospholipids) and synthetic (mono-allyloxylated cucurbit[7]uril) amphiphiles to form their own vesicles, the formation of two different types of compartments in a self-sorted manner mimicking cellular compartments is demonstrated. Even after simultaneous extrusion of both vesicles through small pore membranes, which transformed them into smaller vesicles, both vesicles were not fused but still appeared as independent compartments in sucrose solution. The simultaneous use of natural and synthetic amphiphiles, forming independent compartments, holds great potential for in-depth investigation of self-sorted multi-compartments and their structures as prototype cells.

Improved Acid Resistance of a Metal-Organic Cage Enables Cargo Release and Exchange between Hosts

The use of di(2-pyridyl)ketone in subcomponent self-assembly is introduced. When combined with a flexible triamine and zinc bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, this ketone formed a new Zn4 L4 tetrahedron 1 bearing twelve uncoordinated pyridyl units around its metal-ion vertices. The acid stability of 1 was found to be greater than that of the analogous tetrahedron 2 built from 2-formylpyridine. Intriguingly, the peripheral presence of additional pyridine rings in 1 resulted in distinct guest binding behavior from that of 2, affecting guest scope as well as binding affinities. The different stabilities and guest affinities of capsules 1 and 2 enabled the design of systems whereby different cargoes could be moved between cages using acid and base as chemical stimuli.

Stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymer network based on bi-pillar[5]arene for efficient adsorption of multiple organic dye contaminants

A novel supramolecular polymer network gel has been successfully prepared via bi-pillar[5]arene and a tripodal guest, exhibiting multi-stimuli-responsiveness and efficient adsorption of organic dyes.