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Ashbridge Z, Fielden SDP, Leigh DA, Pirvu L, Schaufelberger F, Zhang L. Knotting matters: orderly molecular entanglements. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:7779-7809. [PMID: 35979715 PMCID: PMC9486172 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00323f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Entangling strands in a well-ordered manner can produce useful effects, from shoelaces and fishing nets to brown paper packages tied up with strings. At the nanoscale, non-crystalline polymer chains of sufficient length and flexibility randomly form tangled mixtures containing open knots of different sizes, shapes and complexity. However, discrete molecular knots of precise topology can also be obtained by controlling the number, sequence and stereochemistry of strand crossings: orderly molecular entanglements. During the last decade, substantial progress in the nascent field of molecular nanotopology has been made, with general synthetic strategies and new knotting motifs introduced, along with insights into the properties and functions of ordered tangle sequences. Conformational restrictions imparted by knotting can induce allostery, strong and selective anion binding, catalytic activity, lead to effective chiral expression across length scales, binding modes in conformations efficacious for drug delivery, and facilitate mechanical function at the molecular level. As complex molecular topologies become increasingly synthetically accessible they have the potential to play a significant role in molecular and materials design strategies. We highlight particular examples of molecular knots to illustrate why these are a few of our favourite things.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Ashbridge
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - David A Leigh
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 N Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Lucian Pirvu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 N Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, China
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Xu GT, Chang XY, Low KH, Wu LL, Wan Q, Shu HX, To WP, Huang JS, Che CM. Self-Assembly of Molecular Trefoil Knots Featuring Pentadecanuclear Homoleptic Au I -, Au I /Ag I -, or Au I /Cu I -Alkynyl Coordination. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200748. [PMID: 35183066 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Metal-free and metal-containing molecular trefoil knots are fascinating ensembles that are usually covalently assembled, the latter requiring the rational design of di- or multidentate/multipodal ligands as connectors. In this work, we describe the self-assembly of pentadecanuclear AuI trefoil knots [Au15 (C≡CR)15 ] from monoalkynes HC≡CR (R=9,9-X2 -fluorenyl with X=nBu, n-hexyl) and [AuI (THT)Cl]. Hetero-bimetallic counterparts [Au9 M6 (C≡CR)15 ] (M=Cu/Ag) were self-assembled by reactions of [Au15 (C≡CR)15 ] with [Cu(MeCN)4 ]+ /AgNO3 and HC≡CR. The type of pentadecanuclear trefoil knots described herein is characterized by X-ray crystallography, 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. [Au9 Cu6 (C≡CR)15 ] is relatively stable in hexane; its excited state properties were investigated. DFT calculations revealed that non-covalent metal-metal and metal-ligand interactions, together with longer alkyl chain-strengthened inter-ligand dispersion interactions, govern the stability of the trefoil knot structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Tao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Chang
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kam-Hung Low
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Liang-Liang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qingyun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hui-Xing Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wai-Pong To
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jie-Sheng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi-Ming Che
- State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Xu GT, Chang XY, Low KH, Wu LL, Wan Q, Shu HX, To WP, Huang JS, Che CM. Self‐Assembly of Molecular Trefoil Knots Featuring Pentadecanuclear Homoleptic AuI‐, AuI/AgI‐, or AuI/CuI‐Alkynyl Coordination. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiao-Yong Chang
- Southern University of Science and Technology Chemistry CHINA
| | | | | | - Qingyun Wan
- The University of Hong Kong Chemistry HONG KONG
| | | | - Wai-Pong To
- The University of Hong Kong Chemistry HONG KONG
| | | | - Chi-Ming Che
- The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road - Hong Kong HONG KONG
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Kan XT, Yao H, Niu YB, Hu YP, Zhang YM, Wei TB, Lin Q. Regulation of conjugate rigid plane structures for achieving transformation of fluorescence recognition properties. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj05911d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of a conjugate rigid plane structure based on bisbenzimidazole derivatives to research the structure-effective relationship between conjugate systems size and fluorescence sensing properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tong Kan
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Hong Yao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Bing Niu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Yin-Ping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - You-Ming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
- Deputy Director-General of Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute, Renmin Road 23, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Tai-Bao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
| | - Qi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China
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Non‐Covalent Interaction‐Directed Coordination‐Driven Self‐Assembly of Non‐Trivial Supramolecular Topologies. CHEM REC 2021; 21:574-593. [DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202000155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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