Supramolecular photocatalysis: combining confinement and non-covalent interactions to control light initiated reactions

Regioselective photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid through ATP hydrolysis-driven conformational change using simulation prediction-designed GroEL mutant

GroEL, a chaperone protein responsible for peptide and denatured protein folding, undergoes substantial conformational changes driven by ATP binding and hydrolysis during folding. Utilizing these conformational changes, we demonstrated the GroEL-mediated regioselective photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid (AC) using ATP hydrolysis as an external stimulus. We designed and prepared an optimal GroEL mutant to employ in a docking simulation that has been actively used in recent years. Based on the large difference in the motif of hydrogen bonds between AC and GroEL mutant compared with the wild-type, we predicted that GroELMEL, in which the 307‒309th amino acid residues were mutated to Ala, could alter the orientation of bound AC in GroEL. The GroELMEL-mediated photocyclodimerization of AC can be used for regioselective inversion upon ATP addition to a moderate extent.

The Resorcinarene Hexameric Capsule as a Supramolecular Photoacid to Trigger Olefin Hydroarylation in Confined Space

The self-assembled resorcinarene capsule C6 shows remarkable photoacidity upon light irradiation, which is here exploited to catalyze olefin hydroarylation reactions in confined space. An experimental pKa* value range of -3.3--2.8 was estimated for the photo-excited hexameric capsule C6*, and consequently an increase in acidity of 8.8 log units was observed with respect to its ground state (pKa=5.5-6.0). This makes the hexameric capsule the first example of a self-assembled supramolecular photoacid. The photoacid C6* can catalyze hydroarylation reaction of olefins with aromatic substrates inside its cavity, while no reaction occurred between them in the absence of irradiation and/or capsule. DFT calculations corroborated a mechanism in which the photoacidity of C6* plays a crucial role in the protonation step of the aromatic substrate. A further proton transfer to olefin with a concomitant C-C bond formation and a final deprotonation step lead to product releasing.

Modifying the Oxidative Potentials of Imines in a Dye Loaded Capsule for Photocatalytic Cyclization with Hydrogen Evolution

Modifying redox potential of substrates and intermediates to balance pairs of redox steps are important stages for multistep photosynthesis but faced marked challenges. Through co-clathration of iridium photosensitizer and imine substrate within one packet of a metal-organic capsule to shift the redox potentials of substrate, herein, we reported a multiphoton enzymatic strategy for the generation of heterocycles by intramolecular C-X hydrogen evolution cross-couplings. The cage facilitated a pre-equilibrium substrate-involving clathrate that cathodic shifts the oxidation potential of the substrate-dye-host ternary complex and configuration inversion of substrate via spatial constraints in the confined space. The new two photon excitation strategy enabled the precise control of the multistep electron transfer between each pair (photosensitizer, substrate and the capsule), endowing the catalytic system proceeding smoothly with an enzymatic fashion. Three kinds of 2-subsituted (-OH, -NH2 , and -SH) imines and N-aryl enamines all give the corresponding cyclization products efficiently under visible light irradiation, demonstrating the promising of the microenvironment driven thermodynamic activation in the host-dye-substrate ternary for synergistic combination of multistep photocatalytic transformations.

Evolution in the Design of Water Oxidation Catalysts with Transition-Metals: A Perspective on Biological, Molecular, Supramolecular, and Hybrid Approaches

Increased demand for a carbon-neutral sustainable energy scheme augmented by climatic threats motivates the design and exploration of novel approaches that reserve intermittent solar energy in the form of chemical bonds in molecules and materials. In this context, inspired by biological processes, artificial photosynthesis has garnered significant attention as a promising solution to convert solar power into chemical fuels from abundantly found H2O. Among the two redox half-reactions in artificial photosynthesis, the four-electron oxidation of water according to 2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e- comprises the major bottleneck and is a severe impediment toward sustainable energy production. As such, devising new catalytic platforms, with traditional concepts of molecular, materials and biological catalysis and capable of integrating the functional architectures of the natural oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II would certainly be a value-addition toward this objective. In this review, we discuss the progress in construction of ideal water oxidation catalysts (WOCs), starting with the ingenuity of the biological design with earth-abundant transition metal ions, which then diverges into molecular, supramolecular and hybrid approaches, blurring any existing chemical or conceptual boundaries. We focus on the geometric, electronic, and mechanistic understanding of state-of-the-art homogeneous transition-metal containing molecular WOCs and summarize the limiting factors such as choice of ligands and predominance of environmentally unrewarding and expensive noble-metals, necessity of high-valency on metal, thermodynamic instability of intermediates, and reversibility of reactions that create challenges in construction of robust and efficient water oxidation catalyst. We highlight how judicious heterogenization of atom-efficient molecular WOCs in supramolecular and hybrid approaches put forth promising avenues to alleviate the existing problems in molecular catalysis, albeit retaining their fascinating intrinsic reactivities. Taken together, our overview is expected to provide guiding principles on opportunities, challenges, and crucial factors for designing novel water oxidation catalysts based on a synergy between conventional and contemporary methodologies that will incite the expansion of the domain of artificial photosynthesis.

Tuning light-driven oxidation of styrene inside water-soluble nanocages

Selective functionalization of innate sp2 C-H bonds under ambient conditions is a grand synthetic challenge in organic chemistry. Here we combine host-guest charge transfer-based photoredox chemistry with supramolecular nano-confinement to achieve selective carbonylation of styrene by tuning the dioxygen concentration. We observe exclusive photocatalytic formation of benzaldehyde under excess O2 (>1 atm) while Markovnikov addition of water produced acetophenone in deoxygenated condition upon photoexcitation of confined styrene molecules inside a water-soluble cationic nanocage. Further by careful tuning of the nanocage size, electronics, and guest preorganization, we demonstrate rate enhancement of benzaldehyde formation and a complete switchover to the anti-Markovnikov product, 2-phenylethan-1-ol, in the absence of O2. Raman spectroscopy, 2D 1H-1H NMR correlation experiments, and transient absorption spectroscopy establish that the site-selective control on the confined photoredox chemistry originates from an optimal preorganization of styrene molecules inside the cavity. We envision that the demonstrated host-guest charge transfer photoredox paradigm in combination with green atom-transfer reagents will enable a broad range of sp2 carbon-site functionalization.

Host-Guest Photosensitizer of a Cationic BODIPY Derivative and Cucurbit[7]uril for High-Efficiency Visible Light-Induced Photooxidation Reactions

In recent years, there has been a notable surge of interest in the fields of organic and pharmaceutical research about photocatalysts (PCs) and photosensitizers (PSs). In this study, a 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) molecule adorned with quaternary ammonium (TMB) functionality was meticulously designed and synthesized. This compound has remarkable characteristics such as exceptional water solubility, great optical qualities, and commendable photostability. It can form a 1:1 complex (TMB-CB[7]) with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) through host-guest interactions in the aqueous solution and shows obvious fluorescence enhancement. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide anion radical (O2·-) and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation ability of TMB-CB[7] were promoted compared with that of TMB in the aqueous solution. More interestingly, the ROS generated from TMB-CB[7] can be used as PCs for aerobic cross dehydrogenation coupling reactions and photooxidation reactions in water with high yields of 89 and 95%, respectively. Therefore, the utilization of a host-guest PS presents a novel and environmentally friendly approach for conducting photocatalyzed organic processes under ambient conditions using visible light.

Impact of Static-Oriented Electric Fields on the Kinetics of Some Representative Suzuki-Miyaura and Metal-Cluster Mediated Reactions

In order to examine the effect of oriented (static) electric fields (OEF) on the kinetics of some representative Suzuki-Miyaura and metal-cluster mediated reactions at ambient temperatures, density functional theory-based calculations are reported herein. Results indicate that, in general, OEF can facilitate the kinetics of the concerned reactions when applied along the suitable direction (parallel or anti-parallel with respect to the reaction axis). The reverse effect happens if the direction of the OEF is flipped. OEF (when applied along the 'right' direction) helps to polarize the transition states in the desired direction, thereby facilitating favorable bonding interactions. Given the growing need for finding appropriate catalysts among the scientific community, OEF can prove to be a vital route for the same.

Selectivity Rule of Cryptands for Anions: Molecular Rigidity and Bonding Site

Cryptands utilize inside CH or NH groups as hydrogen bond (H-bond) donors to capture anions such as halides. In this work, the nature and selectivity of confined hydrogen bonds inside cryptands were computationally analyzed with the energy decomposition scheme based on the block-localized wavefunction method (BLW-ED), aiming at an elucidation of governing factors in the binding between cryptands and anions. It was revealed that the intrinsic strengths of inward hydrogen bonds are dominated by the electrostatic attraction, while the anion preferences (selectivity) of inner CH and NH hydrogen bonds are governed by the Pauli exchange repulsion and electrostatic interaction, respectively. Typical conformers of cages are classified into two groups, including the C_3(h) -symmetrical conformers, in which all halide anions are located near the centroids of cages, and the "semi-open" conformers, which exhibit shifted bonding sites for different halide anions. Accordingly, the difference in governing factors of selectivity is attributed to either the rigidity of cages or the binding site of anions for these two groups. In details, the C₃ conformers of NH cryptands can be enlarged more remarkably than the C_3(h) -symmetrical conformers of CH cryptands as the size of anion (ionic radius) increases, resulting in the relaxation of the Pauli repulsion and a dramatic reduction in electrostatic attraction, which eventually rules the selectivity of NH cryptands for halide anions. By contrary, the CH cryptands are more rigid and cannot effectively reduce the Pauli repulsion, which subsequently governs the anion preference. Unlike C₃ conformers whose rigidity determines the selectivity, semi-open conformers exhibit different binding sites for different anions. From F^- to I^- , the bonding site shifts toward the outside end of the pocket inside the semi-open NH cryptand, leading to the significant reduction of the electrostatic interaction that dominates the anion preference. Differently, binding sites are much less affected by the size of anion inside the semi-open CH cryptand, in which the Pauli exchange repulsion remains the key factor for the selectivity of inner hydrogen bonds.

Selective Metal-ion Complexation of a Biomimetic Calix[6]arene Funnel Cavity Functionalized with Phenol or Quinone

In the biomimetic context, many studies have evidenced the importance of the 1^st and 2^nd coordination sphere of a metal ion for controlling its properties. Here, we propose to evaluate a yet poorly explored aspect, which is the nature of the cavity that surrounds the metal labile site. Three calix[6]arene-based aza-ligands are compared, that differ only by the nature of cavity walls, anisole, phenol or quinone (L^OMe , L^OH and L^Q ). Monitoring ligand exchange of their Zn^II complexes evidenced important differences in the metal ion relative affinities for nitriles, halides or carboxylates. It also showed a possible sharp kinetic control on both, metal ion binding and ligand exchange. Hence, this study supports the observations reported on biological systems, highlighting that the substitution of an amino-acid residue of the enzyme active site, at remote distance of the metal ion, can have strong impacts on metal ion lability, substrate/product exchange or selectivity.

Intermolecular interactions between the heavy-atom analogues of acetylene T2H2 (T = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and HCN

METHODS

The intermolecular interactions between the heavy-atom analogues of acetylene T₂H₂ (T = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and HCN have been investigated by theoretical calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level.

RESULTS

The global energy minimum of T₂H₂ is the butterfly structure A, and another energy minimum is the planar structure B. Both structures A and B exhibit the dual behavior when binding with HCN. The various hydrogen bond (HB), dihydrogen bond (DB) and tetrel bond (TB) complexes can be found according to the MEP maps of T₂H₂. One TB and three HB complexes formed between structure A and HCN can be located for Si₂H₂ and Ge₂H₂. One TB, two HB and one DB complexes formed between structure A and HCN can be located for Sn₂H₂ and Pb₂H₂. Four TB and one HB complexes formed between structure B and HCN can be located for all the T₂H₂. The geometries and binding strengths of the complexes are compared and analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

The interactions in these complexes are generally weak, and the interaction energies of these complexes range from -0.53 to -8.23 kcal/mol. The interaction energies of the TB complexes are larger than those of the corresponding HB and DB complexes for structure A···HCN systems. The relative binding strength of the four TB complexes exhibits different order for different structure B···HCN systems, which is consistent with the MEP maps of the isolated monomers.

Switching the Photoreactions of Ir(III) Diamine Complexes between C-N Coupling and Dehydrogenation under Visible Light Irradiation

The selective photoreactions under mild conditions play an important role in synthetic chemistry. Herein, efficient and mild protocols for switching the photoreactions of Ir(III)-diamine complexes between the interligand C-N coupling and dehydrogenation are developed in the presence of O₂ in EtOH solution. The photoreactions of achiral diamine complexes rac-[Ir(L)₂(dm)](PF₆) (L is 2-phenylquinoline or 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)quinoline, dm is 1,2-ethylenediamine, 1,2-diaminopropane, 2-methyl-1,2-diamino-propane, or N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-ethylenediamine) are competitive in the oxidative C-N coupling and dehydrogenation at room temperature, which can be switched into the interligand C-N coupling reaction at 60 °C, affording hexadentate complexes in good to excellent yields, or the dehydrogenative reaction in the presence of a catalytic amount of TEMPO as an additive, affording imine complexes. Mechanism studies reveal that ¹O₂ is the major reactive oxygen species, and metal aminyl is the key intermediate in the formation of the oxidative C-N coupling and imine products in the photoreaction processes. These will provide a new and practical protocol for the synthesis of multidentate and imine ligands in situ via the postcoordinated strategy under mild conditions.

Application of γ-cyclodextrin-lysozyme as host materials for encapsulation of curcumin: characterization, stability, and controlled release properties

BACKGROUND

In this study, a safe and relatively stable γ-cyclodextrin-lysozyme (γ-CD-Lys) was synthesized using epichlorohydrin as the cross-linking agent, and curcumin was successfully encapsulated in γ-CD-Lys.

RESULTS

The successful Lys grafting onto γ-CD can be demonstrated by a high grafting ratio (79.02%) and was further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) band shifts and the new signal obtained at δ 2.75 in proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The encapsulation efficiency value of γ-CD-Lys was 76.74%, and the successful encapsulation of curcumin into γ-CD-Lys was confirmed by crystal structure change, increased melting point, and FTIR band shifts. The intermolecular bonds results suggested that associative forces between curcumin and γ-CD-Lys were electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonds interaction, and hydrophobic interaction. The designed nanoparticles had excellent stability at low pH and low salt concentration. The release rate of these nanoparticles was inhibited in simulated gastric conditions, whereas it increased significantly in intestinal media. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion experiments further confirmed that nanoparticles showed higher bioaccessibility (86.05%) compared with curcumin (58.82%).

CONCLUSION

Overall, our study showed that the nanoparticles were highly promising for delivering curcumin because of their enhanced functional attributes and stabilization in acid or low salt environments. Also, it was an excellent wall material for targeting hydrophobic bioactive compounds in the intestinal tract via oral administration. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthesis of cyclodextrin derivatives for enantiodifferentiating photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate

Photochemical methods are increasingly being used in organic synthesis. They are especially useful for preparing many compounds that are not readily accessible through thermal or enzymatic reactions. The supramolecular strategy has proved highly promising in recent years for manipulating the stereochemical outcome of chiral photoreactions through relatively strong and long-lasting noncovalent interactions in both ground and excited states. Among the numerous chiral photochemical reactions, photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate (AC) is the most comprehensively studied supramolecular chiral photoreaction and has essentially become a benchmark reaction for evaluating supramolecular photochirogenesis. Cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives were the earliest and are the most widely applied chiral host for mediating photoreactions. Herein, we use CD-mediated photocyclodimerization of AC as an example to introduce the operation process of supramolecular chiral photoreactions. The protocol includes the following contents: (i) the preparation, purification and characterization of β-CD derivatives; (ii) methods for investigating the host-guest inclusion behavior between AC and β-CD derivatives; (iii) the photochemical reaction operation flow under different solvent and temperature conditions; (iv) chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of the product distribution and enantioselectivity. The protocol is introduced by using representative examples of the synthesis of β-CD derivatives and the manipulation of environmental factors that give excellent regio- and enantioselectivities in the photocyclodimerization of AC. The synthesis and purification of β-CD derivatives require 3-5 d of work. The photoirradiation of AC with β-CD derivatives can be done within 1 h. The product analysis requires 5 h.

Multicolor-Luminescence Including White Light by Photomodulation of Supramolecular Assemblies in Aqueous Media

Photo-responsive supramolecular systems offer intriguing functional aspects which have led to their applications in diverse fields such as optoelectronics and biomedicine. However, the modulation of the luminescence output in a spatiotemporal fashion by photo-controlled transformation still remains a challenging task. Herein, we report the controlled regulation of the emission color of supramolecular assemblies of amphiphilic cyanostilbenes (CSs) in water through in situ photomodulation employing UV and sunlight. Due to their aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features, the CS chromophores in the supramolecular assemblies exhibited bright greenish-yellow emission. Photoirradiation predominantly led to the formation of a cyclized product exhibiting aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) features and having efficient cyan-blue emission in water but severely quenched emission in the solid state. Hence, starting from a unicomponent scaffold, photomodulation provided tunable emission ranging from greenish-yellow to cyan-blue including white light in water. Furthermore, using the contrasting AIE and ACQ behavior of the components in the photoirradiated mixtures, we were able to design rewritable fluorescent inks and encryption in solid films indicating the practical utility of these systems.

Research Progress of Intramolecular π-Stacked Small Molecules for Device Applications

Organic semiconductors can be designed and constructed in π-stacked structures instead of the conventional π-conjugated structures. Through-space interaction (TSI) occurs in π-stacked optoelectronic materials. Thus, unlike electronic coupling along the conjugated chain, the functional groups can stack closely to facilitate spatial electron communication. Using π-stacked motifs, chemists and materials scientists can find new ways for constructing materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE), thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), and room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), as well as enhanced molecular conductance. Organic optoelectronic devices based on π-stacked molecules have exhibited very promising performance, with some of them exceeding π-conjugated analogues. Recently, reports on various organic π-stacked structures have grown rapidly, prompting this review. Representative molecular scaffolds and newly developed π-stacked systems could stimulate more attention on through-space charge transfer the well-known through-bond charge transfer. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for utilizing and improving particular materials are discussed. The previous achievements and upcoming prospects may provide new insights into the theory, materials, and devices in the field of organic semiconductors.

Visible Light-Induced Regio- and Enantiodifferentiating [2 + 2] Photocycloaddition of 1,4-Naphthoquinones Mediated by Oppositely Coordinating 1,3,2-Oxazaborolidine Chiral Lewis Acid

A range of asymmetric photochemical transformations using visible light have recently become considerably attractive. Among the various approaches, chiral Lewis acid association to enones for [2 + 2] and ortho photocycloadditions and oxadi-π-methane rearrangements have shown to be very promising. Naturally, chiral Lewis acid coordination protects one of the prochiral faces of the C═C double bond, which enables an effective enantiodifferentiation in the following bond-forming process(es). Here, we studied regio- and enantiodifferentiating [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions of naphthoquinone derivatives mediated by chiral oxazaborolidines. A stereochemical control was quite challenging for the 2-ene-1,4-dione substrate, as a double coordination of Lewis acid essentially cancels out the face selectivity, and a mono-coordination to each carbonyl group leads to an opposite stereochemical outcome. Furthermore, a stepwise coordination in the ground state of Lewis acid in a 1:1 fashion was practically inaccessible. We found that the excited-state decomplexation is a key to accomplish high regio- and enantioselectivities in the photocycloaddition of an ene-dione.

Back electron transfer rates determine the photoreactivity of donor-acceptor stilbene complexes in a macrocyclic host

Host-guest 2 : 1 complexation of photoreactive alkene guests improves the selectivity of [2 + 2] photodimerizations by templating alkene orientation prior to irradiation. Host-guest chemistry can also provide 1 : 1 : 1 complexes through the inclusion of electronically complementary donor and acceptor guests, but the photoreactivity of such complexes has not been investigated. We imagined that such complexes could enable selective cross-[2 + 2] photocycloadditions between donor and acceptor stilbenes. In pursuit of this strategy, we investigated a series of stilbenes and found 1 : 1 : 1 complexes with cucurbit[8]uril that exhibited charge-transfer (CT) absorption bands in the visible and near-IR regions. Irradiation of the CT band of an azastilbene, 4,4'-stilbenedicarboxylate, and cucurbit[8]uril ternary complex led to a selective cross-[2 + 2] photocycloaddition, while other substrate pairs exhibited no productive chemistry upon CT excitation. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we were able to understand the variable photoreactivity of different stilbene donor-acceptor complexes. We found that back electron transfer following CT excitation of the photoreactive complex is positioned deep in the Marcus inverted region due to electrostatic stabilization of the ground state, allowing [2 + 2] to effectively compete with this relaxation pathway. Control reactions revealed that the cucurbit[8]uril host not only serves to template the reaction from the ground state, but also protects the long-lived radical ions formed by CT from side reactions. This protective role of the host suggests that donor-acceptor host-guest ternary complexes could be used to improve existing CT-initiated photochemistry or access new reactivity.

Using Restricted Bond Rotations to Enforce Excited State Behavior of Organic Molecules

This account highlights the role of restricted bond rotations to influence excited state reactivity of organic molecules. It highlights photochemical reactivity of various organic molecules and the design strategies that could be exploited by chemists to utilize restricted bond rotations to uncover new excited state reactivity and achieve selectivity.

Janusene as a silver ion scavenger: insights from computation

The ability of Janusene to interact simultaneously with multiple silver ions.

Robust Formation of Discrete Non-Covalent Pyrene Dimers in Amorphous Film by Strong π–π Interaction

Pyrene-based non-covalent dimer in a crystal shows strengthened π–π interaction, which is robust enough against external disturbances. Such a strong π–π interaction makes pyrene-based dimer easily formed in amorphous film,...

Enantioselective synthesis of heterocyclic compounds using photochemical reactions

Different methods for the direct enantioselective photochemical synthesis of heterocycles are presented. Currently, asymmetric catalysis with templates involving hydrogen bonds or metal complexes is intensively investigated. Enzyme catalysis can be simplified under photochemical conditions. For example, in multi enzyme systems, one or more enzyme catalytic steps can be replaced by simple photochemical reactions. Chiral induction in photochemical reactions performed with homochiral crystals is highly efficient. Such reactions can also be carried out with crystalline inclusion complexes. Inclusion of a photochemical substrate and an enantiopure compound in zeolites also leads to enantioselective compounds. In all these methods, the conformational mobility of the photochemical substrates is reduced or controlled. Memory of chirality is a particular case in which a chiral information is temporally lost but the rigid conformations stabilize the molecular structure which leads to the formation of enantiopure compounds. Such studies allows a profound understanding on how particular conformations determine the configuration of the final products.Graphical abstract.

Structural Chemistry of Giant Metal Based Supramolecules

The review presents a bird-eye view on the state of research in the field of giant nonbiological discrete metal complexes and ions of nanometer size, which are structurally characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, using the crystal structure as a common key feature. The discussion is focused on the main structural features of the metal clusters, the clusters containing compact metal oxide/hydroxide/chalcogenide core, ligand-based metal-organic cages, and supramolecules as well as on the aspects related to the packing of the molecules or ions in the crystal and the methodological aspects of the single-crystal neutron and X-ray diffraction of these compounds.

Supramolecular Enantiodifferentiating Photocyclodimerization of 2-Anthracenecarboxylic Acid Mediated by Bridged β-Cyclodextrins: Critical Effects of the Host Structure, pH and Co-Solvents

Several sulfoxide- and sulfone-bridged β-cyclodextrin (CD) dimers were synthesized for mediating the enantiodifferentiating [4+4] photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid (AC). The complexation behavior of these chiral hosts with AC was investigated by UV-vis, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopies and certified the formation of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 host-guest complexes. The product distribution and enantioselectivity of the photoreaction turned out to be a critical function of the chemical structure of bridged CDs. Comparing to the sulfur-bridged 2A_X -3G_X β-CD dimer 7, the conversion of the photolyzes with sulfoxide-bridged was significantly improved, and the ee of cyclodimer 2 was remarkably increased from -82.8% with 7 to -96.7% with the sulfoxide-bridged 2A_X -3G_X β-CD dimer 8. The relative yields and ee values of the slipped cyclodimers 5 and 6 were greatly enhanced in the presence of 6 M CsCl. The reaction selectivity is susceptible to the pH variation of the aqueous buffer solution, demonstrating that the supramolecular photochirogenesis is controlled by multidimensional factors, including the chemical structure of the chiral host, solvent, and pH conditions.

Possible effects of fluxionality of a cavitand on its catalytic activity through confinement

The discovery of fullerenes was a huge milestone in the scientific community, and with it came the urge to discover and analyze various small and large atomic and molecular clusters having a cavity. These cavitands of varied shapes and sizes have wide applications in the encapsulation of rare gas atoms to induce bond formation between them, storage of hydrogen and hydrocarbons to be used as alternative sources of fuel, catalyzation of otherwise slow reactions without using a catalyst, activation of small gas molecules, etc. Various cavitands like fullerenes, [ExBox]4+, cucurbit[n]urils, borospherenes, octa acid, etc. have been used for this purpose. Some clusters including cavitands exhibit fluxional behaviour. Systems in a confined environment often manifest interesting variations in their properties and behaviour, compared to their unconfined counterparts, facilitating the aforementioned applications. In this perspective article, we explore the possibility of making use of this extra degree of freedom, viz., the fluxionality, in changing the catalytic activity of the cavitand.

Selective Photodimerization in a Cyclodextrin Metal-Organic Framework

For the most part, enzymes contain one active site wherein they catalyze in a serial manner chemical reactions between substrates both efficiently and rapidly. Imagine if a situation could be created within a chiral porous crystal containing trillions of active sites where substrates can reside in vast numbers before being converted in parallel into products. Here, we report how it is possible to incorporate 1-anthracenecarboxylate (1-AC^-) as a substrate into a γ-cyclodextrin-containing metal-organic framework (CD-MOF-1), where the metals are K⁺ cations, prior to carrying out [4+4] photodimerizations between pairs of substrate molecules, affording selectively one of four possible regioisomers. One of the high-yielding regioisomers exhibits optical activity as a result of the presence of an 8:1 ratio of the two enantiomers following separation by high-performance liquid chromatography. The solid-state superstructure of 1-anthracenecarboxylate potassium salt (1-ACK), which is co-crystallized with γ-cyclodextrin, reveals that pairs of substrate molecules are not only packed inside tunnels between spherical cavities present in CD-MOF-1, but also stabilized-in addition to hydrogen-bonding to the C-2 and C-3 hydroxyl groups on the d-glucopyranosyl residues present in the γ-cyclodextrin tori-by combinations of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between the carboxyl groups in 1-AC^- and four K⁺ cations on the waistline between the two γ-cyclodextrin tori in the tunnels. These non-covalent bonding interactions result in preferred co-conformations that account for the highly regio- and enantioselective [4+4] cycloaddition during photoirradiation. Theoretical calculations, in conjunction with crystallography, support the regio- and stereochemical outcome of the photodimerization.

Transforming a Fluorochrome to an Efficient Photocatalyst for Oxidative Hydroxylation: A Supramolecular Dimerization Strategy Based on Host-Enhanced Charge Transfer

The development of non-covalent synthetic strategy to fabricate efficient photocatalysts is of great importance in theranostic and organic materials. Herein, a fluorochrome N,N'-dimethyl 2,5-bis(4-pyridinium)thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazolediiodide (MPT) was transformed into an efficient photocatalyst through supramolecular dimerization in the cavity of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]). The host-enhanced charge transfer interaction within the supramolecular dimer 2MPT-CB[8] dramatically promoted intersystem crossing to produce triplet. In addition, the staggered conformation of 2MPT-CB[8] facilitated the energy transfer and electron transfer of the triplet. As a result, 2MPT-CB[8] could serve as a high-efficiency photocatalyst for the oxidative hydroxylation of arylboronic acids. This supramolecular dimerization strategy enriches the supramolecular engineering of functional π-systems. It is anticipated that this strategy can be extended to fabricate various π-systems with tailor-made functions.

Intermolecular interactions between the heavy alkenes H2Si = TH2 (T = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and acetylene

The intermolecular interactions between the heavy alkenes H₂Si = TH₂ (T = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and C₂H₂ have been calculated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level, and the nature of these complexes has been investigated by natural bond orbital. The four types (type-A, type-B, type-C and type-D) of complexes can be located for H₂Si = TH₂···C₂H₂ system. The complexes involving H₂Si = TH₂···C₂F₂ and H₂Si = TH₂···C₂(CN)₂ have also been examined to explore the substituent effects. Some complexes which are stable for H₂Si = TH₂···C₂H₂ system become unstable for H₂Si = TH₂···C₂F₂ or H₂Si = TH₂···C₂(CN)₂ system, while other complexes which are unstable for H₂Si = TH₂···C₂H₂ system become stable for H₂Si = TH₂···C₂F₂ or H₂Si = TH₂···C₂(CN)₂ system.

Pseudodimeric Complexes of an (18-Crown-6)stilbene with Styryl Dyes Containing an Ammonioalkyl Group: Synthesis, Structure, and Stereospecific [2 + 2] Cross-Photocycloaddition

A new efficient method was proposed for the synthesis of (18-crown-6)stilbene; the structure of the product was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. In MeCN, this compound forms pseudodimeric complexes with N-(2-ammonioethyl)-4-styrylpyridinium and N-(3-ammoniopropyl)-4-styrylpyridinium diperchlorates via hydrogen bonding between the ammonium group and the crown ether oxygen atoms. The ammonioethyl derivative was synthesized for the first time. The stability constants and spectral characteristics of the complexes were measured by spectrophotometric and fluorescence titration. Photoirradiation of the pseudodimeric complex of (18-crown-6)stilbene with the ammoniopropyl dye resulted in the stereospecific [2 + 2] cross-photocycloaddition reaction. The replacement of the stilbene moiety in the crown compound by a styrylpyridine moiety led to a 5-fold increase in the quantum yield of the photoprocess. The most probable cause for this effect is the presence of photoinduced electron transfer in (18-crown-6)stilbene complexes. This assumption is confirmed by fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.

Insight into functionalized-macrocycles-guided supramolecular photocatalysis

Due to the unique characteristics of macrocycles (e.g., the ease of modification, hydrophobic cavities, and specific guest recognition), they can provide a suitable environment to realize photocatalysis via noncovalent interactions with different substrates. In this minireview, we emphasized the photochemical transformation and catalytic reactivity of different guests based on the binding with various macrocyclic hosts as well as on the role of macrocyclic-hosts-assisted hybrid materials in energy transfer. To keep the clarity of this review, the macrocycles are categorized into the most commonly used supramolecular hosts, including crown ethers, cyclodextrins, cucurbiturils, calixarenes, and pillararenes. This minireview not only summarizes the role that macrocycles play in photocatalytic reactions but also clarifies the photocatalytic mechanisms. Finally, the future research efforts and new pathways to apply macrocycles and supramolecular hybrid materials in photocatalysis are also discussed.

A Supramolecular Strategy for Enhancing Photochirogenic Performance through Host/Guest Modification: Dicationic γ-Cyclodextrin-Mediated Photocyclodimerization of 2,6-Anthracenedicarboxylate

Possessing an extra anionic handle for chiral supramolecular interactions, 2,6-anthracenedicarboxylate exhibited greater photochirogenic performance than 2-anthracenecarboxylate to afford the anti-cyclodimer in up to 94% yield and -72% enantiomeric excess upon photoirradiation with dicationic γ-cyclodextrins.

Intermolecular Interactions Involving Heavy Alkenes H2Si=TH2 (T = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) with H2O and HCl: Tetrel Bond and Hydrogen Bond

The intermolecular interactions between the heavy alkenes H₂Si=TH₂ (T = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and H₂O or HCl have been explored at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The various hydrogen bond (HB) and tetrel bond (TB) complexes can be located on the basis of molecular electrostatic potential maps of the isolated monomers. The competition between TB and HB interactions has been investigated through the relaxed potential energy surface scan. The results indicate that the HB complexes become more and more unstable relative to the TB complexes with the increase of the T atomic number, and cannot even retain as a minimum in some cases, for H₂Si=TH2···H₂O systems. In contrast, the HB complexes are generally more stable than TB complexes, and the TB complexes exhibit rather weak binding strength, for H₂Si=TH₂···HCl systems. The majority of the TB complexes formed between H₂Si=TH₂ and H₂O possesses very strong binding strength with covalent characteristics. The noncovalent TB complexes can be divided into two types on the basis of the orbital interactions: π-hole complexes, with binding angles ranging from 91 to 111°, and hybrid σ/π-hole complexes, with binding angles ranging from 130 to 165°. The interplay between different molecular interactions has been explored, and an interesting result is that the covalent TB interaction is significantly abated and becomes noncovalent because of the competitive effect.

Separating Enthalpic, Configurational, and Solvation Entropic Components in Host-Guest Binding: Application to Cucurbit[7]uril Complexes through a Full In Silico Approach via Water Nanodroplets

Cucurbiturils are a family of supramolecular hosts obtained by condensation of glycoluril and formaldehyde. Cucurbit[7]uril, CB[7], is the most prominent member of the family for its biomolecular interest, arising from its mild solubility in water and for its strong binding with a large variety of guests containing nonpolar fragments such as adamantanes and ferrocene. For instance, CB[7] encapsulates diamantane diammonium iodide with an attomolar dissociation constant, a value unmatched even in natural encapsulation processes. Computational chemistry has been extensively employed to describe the enthalpic-entropic compensation principle of the molecular recognition process of cucurbituril hosts, but the synergistic contribution of experimental data is required for accurate results to be obtained. This paper proposes the first fully theoretical model able to reconcile the calculated thermodynamics of the complexation process with the experimental data obtained by calorimetry (ITC) for cucurbit[7]uril. The model allows the isolation and estimation of all of the enthalpic and entropic contributions coming from solute and solvent alike to the whole host-guest binding event and enables the straightforward calculation of the contribution of the solvation entropy to the binding.

Nonlinear Dependence on Na+ Ions for the Binding Dynamics of Cucurbit[6]uril with the trans-1-Methyl-4-(4-hydroxystyryl)pyridinium Cation

The binding dynamics of the trans-1-methyl-4-(4-hydroxystyryl)pyridinium cation (HSP⁺) to cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) in the presence of Na⁺ cations were studied to establish the effect of the relative concentrations of the system's components (HSP⁺, CB[6], and Na⁺) on these dynamics. The formation of the HSP⁺@CB[6] complex was temporally uncoupled from the photoisomerization of trans-HSP⁺, while a nonlinear effect of the Na⁺ cation concentration on the HSP⁺@CB[6] dynamics was observed. This nonlinearity is a consequence of Na⁺ having the opposite effect on the association and dissociation rate constants for the HSP⁺@CB[6] complex, creating a conceptual framework for using such nonlinearities to control multistep reactions in cucurbit[n]uril chemistry.

Remote-controlled regio- and diastereodifferentiating photodimerization of a dynamic helical peptide-bound 2-substituted anthracene

Photodimerization of a novel 2-substituted anthracene linked to a right-handed 310-helical nonapeptide induced by long-range chiral information transfer from the remote chiral l-Val residue through a chiral domino effect proceeded in a highly regio- and diastereo-differentiating manner to produce the chiral head-to-head anti-photodimer in 90% relative yield with up to 97% diastereomeric excess.

Pillar[5]arene-Based Switched Supramolecular Photosensitizer for Self-Amplified and pH-Activated Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising and spatiotemporally controllable cancer treatment modality. However, serious skin photosensitization during the PDT process limits the clinical application of PDT. Thus, the construction of "smart" and multifunctional photosensitizers has attracted substantial interest. Herein, we develop a mitochondria-targeting and pH-switched hybrid supramolecular photosensitizer by the host-guest interaction. The PDT efficacy of supramolecular photosensitizers can be quenched by the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect during long circulation and activated by the dissociation of supramolecular photosensitizers in an acidic tumor microenvironment, benefitting from the dynamic feature of the host-guest interaction and pH responsiveness of the water-soluble pillar[5]arene on gold nanoparticles. The rational integration of mitochondria-targeting and reductive glutathione (GSH) elimination in the hybrid switchable supramolecular photosensitizer prolongs the lifetime of reactive oxygen species generated in the PDT near mitochondria and further amplifies the PDT efficacy. Thus, the facile and versatile construction of switchable supramolecular photosensitizer offers not only the targeted and precise phototherapy but also high therapeutic efficacy, which would provide a new path for the clinic application of PDT.