Symmetrically backfolded molecules emulating the self-similar features of a Sierpinski triangle

We synthesized self-similar molecules (G3 and G2; based on phenylalkynyl backbones) with symmetrically backfolded shapes inspired by the famous fractal of a Sierpinski triangle. Unlike the more traditional, starburst dendrimers, the centripetal-shaped Sierpinski molecules feature side branches symmetrically bent away from the growth direction of the main branch, thus contrasting the natural-tree shape. Molecule G3 exhibits three distinct levels of the structural hierarchy comprising the primary, secondary and tertiary branches, while the smaller G2 contains only features of the 1^st and 2^nd orders. In spite of the much larger conjugated backbone of G3, its solution UV-vis absorption and fluorescence exhibit no red shift relative to G2. In a test of nitrobenzene sensing, a thin film of G3 deposited from THF was more sensitively quenched in fluorescence than the smaller G2.

Janus triple tripods build up a microporous manifold for HgCl2 and I2 uptake

Three tripods for a versatile molecular scaffold: combining the Janus core for supramolecular recognition and the planar carboxyl tripod for framework construction enables metal uptake and iodine removal applications.

Dramatic improvement of stability by in situ linker cyclization of a metal–organic framework

Towards 3D graphenes: we demonstrate an effective two-step strategy for accessing crystalline porous covalent networks of highly conjugated π-electron systems.