Macrocyclic host molecules with aromatic building blocks: the state of the art and progress

Macrocyclic host molecules play the central role in host-guest chemistry and supramolecular chemistry. The highly structural symmetry of macrocyclic host molecules can meet people's pursuit of aesthetics in molecular design, and generally means a balance of design, synthesis, properties and applications. For macrocyclic host molecules with highly symmetrical structures, building blocks, which could be described as repeat units as well, are the most fundamental elements for molecular design. The structural features and recognition ability of macrocyclic host molecules are determined by the building blocks and their connection patterns. Using different building blocks, different macrocyclic host molecules could be designed and synthesized. With decades of developments of host-guest chemistry and supramolecular chemistry, diverse macrocyclic host molecules with different building blocks have been designed and synthesized. Aromatic building blocks are a big family among the various building blocks used in constructing macrocyclic host molecules. In this feature article, the recent developments of macrocyclic host molecules with aromatic building blocks were summarized and discussed.

Synthesis and anion binding properties of phthalimide-containing corona[6]arenes

Functionalized O6-corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines were synthesized efficiently and conveniently by means of a macrocyclic condensation reaction between N-functionalized 3,6-dihydroxyphthalimides and 3,6-dichlorotetrazine under mild conditions in a one-pot reaction manner. The novel macrocycles exist as a mixture of rapidly interconvertible conformers in solution while in the solid state they adopt the conformation in which three phthalimide units are cis,trans-orientated. Acting as electron-deficient macrocyclic hosts, the synthesized O6-corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines self-regulated conformational structures to complex anions in the gas phase and in the solid state owing to the anion-π noncovalent interactions between anions and the tetrazine rings.

Differences in solubilities, crystal structures, NMR spectra and fluorescence emissions induced by potassium cation/benzo-21-crown-7 molecular recognition

Changes of the fundamental properties of host–guest pairs induced by potassium cation complexation were investigated.

Tri-pillar[5]arene-based multi-stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers for fluorescence detection and separation of Hg2+

A novel tri-pillar[5]arene based supramolecular polymer (JP5G) shows multiple stimuli-response properties and could detect and remove Hg²⁺ from aqueous solution.