Halogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks (XOFs) Based on N⋅⋅⋅Br+⋅⋅⋅N Bonds: Robust Organic Networks Constructed by Fragile Bonds

Organic frameworks face a trade-off between the framework stability and the bond dynamics, which necessitates the development of innovative linkages that can generate stable frameworks without hindering efficient synthesis. Although iodine(I)-based halogen-bonded organic frameworks (XOFs) have been developed, constructing XOFs based on bromine(I) is desirable yet challenging due to the high sensitivity of bromine(I) species. In this work, we present the inaugural construction of stable bromine(I)-bridged two-dimensional (2D) halogen-bonded organic frameworks, XOF(Br)-TPy-BF4/OTf, based on sensitive [N⋅⋅⋅Br⋅⋅⋅N]+ halogen bonds. The formation of XOF(Br)-TPy-BF4/OTf was monitored by 1H NMR, XPS, IR, SEM, TEM, HR-TEM, SEAD. Their framework structures were established by the results from PXRD, theoretical simulations and SAXS. More importantly, XOF(Br) displayed excellent chemical and thermal stabilities. They exhibited stable two-dimensional framework structures in various organic solvents and aqueous media, even over a wide pH range (pH 3-12), while the corresponding model compounds BrPy2BF4/OTf decomposed quickly even in the presence of minimal water. Furthermore, the influence of the counterions were investigated by replacing BF4 with OTf, which improved the stability of XOF(Br). This characteristic enabled XOF(Br) to serve as an efficient oxidizing reagent in aqueous environments, in contrast with the sensitivity of BrPy2BF4/OTf, which performed well only in organic media. This study not only deepens our fundamental understanding of organic frameworks but also opens new avenues for the development and application of multifunctional XOFs.

Competitive substitution in europium metal-organic gel for signal-on electrochemiluminescence detection of dipicolinic acid

Metal-organic gels (MOGs) emerged as an attractive luminescent soft material for electrochemiluminescence (ECL). In this work, a cathodic ECL-activated europium metal-organic gel (Eu-MOG) has been synthesized by a facile mixing of Eu3+ with 4'-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (Hcptpy) under mild conditions. The prepared Eu-MOG is highly mesoporous for co-reactant permeation to produce an ultra-stable and high-efficient ECL, based on the antenna effect of Eu3+ coordinating with Hcptpy. Moreover, dipicolinic acid (DPA) can competitively coordinate with Eu3+ instead of water molecules, producing an enhanced ECL signal. Therefore, an ECL enhancement assay was developed for DPA detection. There was a linear relationship between the ECL intensity and the logarithmic concentration of DPA in the 0.01-1 μM range, and the detection limit is 7.35 nM. This work displays the promising application of Eu-MOG in the ECL field, opening a broad inspection for seeking a new generation of ECL luminophores.

Functional supramolecular gels based on poly(benzyl ether) dendrons and dendrimers

Supramolecular gels, as a fascinating and useful class of soft materials, constructed from low-molecular-weight gelators via noncovalent interactions have attracted increasing attention in the past few decades. Dendrimers and dendrons are highly branched and monodisperse macromolecules with a well-defined three-dimensional architecture and multiple surface functionalities. In recent years, poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers and dendrons are found to be powerful candidates for constructing gel phase materials in organic or aqueous media due to the advantages of capability of forming multiple noncovalent interactions and significant steric impact. In this Feature Article, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent progress in supramolecular gels involving poly(benzyl ether) dendritic molecules. Firstly, we outline the molecular design strategies of dendritic gelators with an emphasis on the discussion of their gelating units and position in molecular structures. Subsequently, we discuss the potential applications of dendritic gels in light harvesting, stimuli responsive materials, sensors and environmental remediation. In addition, the potential challenges and future perspectives of poly(benzyl ether) dendritic gels have also been discussed. It is hoped that this feature article will attract increasing attention and provide some valuable insights for the future design and evolution of supramolecular gels.

Halogen bonding and chalcogen bonding mediated sensing

Sigma-hole interactions, in particular halogen bonding (XB) and chalcogen bonding (ChB), have become indispensable tools in supramolecular chemistry, with wide-ranging applications in crystal engineering, catalysis and materials chemistry as well as anion recognition, transport and sensing. The latter has very rapidly developed in recent years and is becoming a mature research area in its own right. This can be attributed to the numerous advantages sigma-hole interactions imbue in sensor design, in particular high degrees of selectivity, sensitivity and the capability for sensing in aqueous media. Herein, we provide the first detailed overview of all developments in the field of XB and ChB mediated sensing, in particular the detection of anions but also neutral (gaseous) Lewis bases. This includes a wide range of optical colorimetric and luminescent sensors as well as an array of electrochemical sensors, most notably redox-active host systems. In addition, we discuss a range of other sensor designs, including capacitive sensors and chemiresistors, and provide a detailed overview and outlook for future fundamental developments in the field. Importantly the sensing concepts and methodologies described herein for the XB and ChB mediated sensing of anions, are generically applicable for the development of supramolecular receptors and sensors in general, including those for cations and neutral molecules employing a wide array of non-covalent interactions. As such we believe this review to be a useful guide to both the supramolecular and general chemistry community with interests in the fields of host-guest recognition and small molecule sensing. Moreover, we also highlight the need for a broader integration of supramolecular chemistry, analytical chemistry, synthetic chemistry and materials science in the development of the next generation of potent sensors.

A family of powerful halogen-bond donors: a structural and theoretical analysis of triply activated 3-iodo-1-phenylprop-2-yn-1-ones

A new group of powerful halogen-bond donors have been synthesized and evaluated using structural and computational tools.

Quinoline-cored Poly(Aryl Ether) Dendritic Organogels with Multiple Stimuli-Responsive and Adsorptive Properties

Functional supramolecular gel materials have potential applications in sensors, optical switches, artificial antennae, drug delivery and so on. In this paper, quinoline-cored poly(aryl ether) dendritic organogelators were designed, synthesized and fully characterized. The gelation behaviour of the dendritic organogelator was tested in organic solvents, mixed solvents and ionic liquids. The dendron Q-G1 was found to be an efficient and versatile organogelator toward various apolar and polar organic solvents with the critical gelation concentrations (CGCs) approaching 1.2×10^-2  mol/L, indicating one dendritic organogelator could immobilize 1.2×10³ solvent molecules in the organogel network. Interestingly, these dendrons exhibited excellent gel formation in ionic liquids. Notably, these dendritic organogels were found to display multiple stimuli-responsive properties toward external stimuli including heat, ultrasound and shear stress, with a reversible sol-gel phase transition. In addition, the dendritic organogel could effectively adsorb heavy metals and organic dyes. The removal rate of Pb²⁺ was up to 20% and the adsorption rate for Rhodamine B was as high as 89%.

Improving the Overall Properties of Circularly Polarized Luminescent Materials Through Arene-Perfluoroarene Interactions

A major trade-off in the field of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) of pure organic materials is that the large luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum ) usually gives rise to the suppression of luminescence efficiency (Φ_PL ). Here, a supramolecular self-assembled system, driven by arene-perfluoroarene (AP) interactions of chiral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and octafluoronaphthalene (OFN), is reported to provide a solution to this problem. Two kinds of chiral PAHs based on pyrene and anthracene could co-assemble with OFN in hybrid solvents to form long-range-ordered AP assemblies. The detailed process of AP interaction driving self-assembly was verified by morphological measurements and fluorescence spectra. The AP assemblies exhibited chirality amplification not only in the excited state but also in the ground state. In addition, the AP assemblies showed an enhanced luminescence efficiency compared with the individual chiral PAHs due to the energy-barrier effect of OFN. The present strategy based on AP interactions could be applied to boost the development of highly efficient CPL-active materials.

Lithium halide ion-pair recognition with halogen bonding and chalcogen bonding heteroditopic macrocycles

A series of halogen bonding and chalcogen bonding phenanthroline containing heteroditopic macrocyclic receptors exhibit cooperative recognition of lithium halide (LiX) ion-pairs.

The effect of vicinal di-halo substituents on the organogelling properties of aromatic supramolecular gelators and their application as soft templates

Vicinal di-halo substituents have a determinant effect on the supramolecular self-assembly and properties of aromatic physical gelators with application as soft templates.

An “off–on” fluorescent naphthalimide-based sensor for anions: its application in visual F− and AcO− discrimination in a self-assembled gel state

Herein, we report a novel fluorescent organogelator that could discriminate F⁻ from AcO⁻ in both solution and gel systems.

Ping-Pong Tunneling Reactions: Can Fluoride Jump at Absolute Zero?

In a recent study, Scheiner designed a double-germanium-based fluoride receptor that binds the halogen by means of strong tetrel bonds (Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 18850). In this system the F^- binds to the germanium atoms in an asymmetric fashion, thereby producing a double-well potential in which the fluoride can jump from one germanium to the other as in a ping-pong game. Herein we prove through the use of computational tools that at cryogenic temperatures this rearrangement occurs by heavy-atom quantum mechanical tunneling. The inductive strength of the substituents and the polarity of the solvent can modify the barrier and the tunneling rate. But the strongest effect is observed upon modification of the geometry of the molecule by specific substitutions that affect the barrier width, the most critical factor in a tunneling mechanism. We postulate two experimental tests, one by microwave spectroscopy and one by cryogenic NMR spectroscopy, that can prove the predicted fluoride tunneling.

Stronger Intermolecular Forces or Closer Molecular Spacing? Key Impact Factor Research of Gelator Self-Assembly Mechanism

The benzene ring of low-molecular-weight gelators provides strong intermolecular forces but increases molecular spacing during self-assembly. To explore both of the above influences on the gel properties, we synthesize two gelators (Glu-CBZ and Glu-DPA) consisting of the same terminal long side chain but different aliphatic functional groups. The aliphatic functional groups are carbobenzoxy group and diphenyl phosphate group. The self-assembly driving forces, self-organization patterns, network morphologies, rheological properties, and the influences of solvents are researched through ¹H NMR spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra, field-emission scanning electron microscopy images, rheological characterizations curves, tube-inversion experiment, and calculation of van't Hoff plots. The results show that the carbobenzoxy group of Glu-CBZ makes molecules pack more tightly such that it improves the gel properties during static equilibrium. Whereas the diphenyl phosphate group of Glu-DPA provides stronger intermolecular forces, performing outstandingly during dynamic equilibrium. It is advantageous to further investigate the competitive relationship in gel system between the increased number of functional groups and the consequent steric effect.

Self-Assembly of a Strong Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Core-Based Aspartate Derivative Dendrimer Supramolecular Gelator in Different Polarity Solvents

Aromatic groups are introduced into the end peripherals of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) core-based organic/inorganic hybrid supramolecules to get a novel dendrimer gelator POSS-Z-Asp(OBzl) (POSS-ASP), which have eight aspartate derivative arms to make full use of strong π-π stacking forces to get strong supramolecular gels in addition to multiple hydrogen bindings and van der Waals interactions. POSS-ASP can self-assemble into three-dimensional nanoscale gel networks to provide hybrid physical gels especially with strong mechanical properties and fast-recovery behaviors. Two totally different morphologies of the connected spherical particle structures and banded ultralong fibers are observed owing to the polarity of solvents confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy, polarized optical microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques, expecting the existing various self-assembly models and illustrating the peripherals of the dendrimer and the polarity of solvents having huge influences in the supramolecular self-assembly mechanism. What is more, the thermal stability, rheological properties, and network architecture information have also been investigated via tube-inversion, rotational rheometer, and powder X-ray diffraction methods, the results of which confirm the two different gel formation mechanisms that make POSS-ASP to exhibit two totally different thermal and mechanical properties. Such a study reports a new gelation system in organic or organic/aqueous mixed solvents, which can be helpful for investigating the relationship of dendritic supramolecular gelation and different polarity solvents during the supramolecular self-assembly process of gelators.

One-step, green synthesis of a supramolecular organogelator based on mellitic triimide for the recognition of aromatic compounds

Mellitic triimide derivatives with N-benzyl groups form conformations with concave cavities, that are capable of including aromatic molecules such as benzene, nitrobenzene, etc. In addition, they act as supramolecular gelators, which enable the detection of aromatic molecules as a gel-sol phase transition.

Comparison of halide receptors based on H, halogen, chalcogen, pnicogen, and tetrel bonds

A series of halide receptors are constructed and the geometries and energetics of their binding to F⁻, Cl⁻, and Br⁻assessed by quantum calculations. The dicationic receptors are based on a pair of imidazolium units, connectedviaa benzene spacer. The imidazoliums each donate a proton to a halide in a pair of H-bonds. Replacement of the two bonding protons by Br leads to bindingviaa pair of halogen bonds. Likewise, chalcogen, pnicogen, and tetrel bonds occur when the protons are replaced, respectively, by Se, As, and Ge. Regardless of the binding group considered, F⁻is bound much more strongly than are Cl⁻and Br⁻. With respect to the latter two halides, the binding energy is not very sensitive to the nature of the binding atom, whether H or some other atom. But there is a great deal of differentiation with respect to F⁻, where the order varies as tetrel > H ∼ pnicogen > halogen > chalcogen. The replacement of the various binding atoms by their analogues in the next row of the periodic table enhances the fluoride binding energy by 22–56%. The strongest fluoride binding agents utilize the tetrel bonds of the Sn atom, whereas it is I-halogen bonds that are preferred for Cl⁻and Br⁻. After incorporation of thermal and entropic effects, the halogen, chalcogen, and pnicogen bonding receptors do not represent much of an improvement over H-bonds with regard to this selectivity for F⁻, even I which binds quite strongly. In stark contrast, the tetrel-bonding derivatives, both Ge and Sn, show by far the greatest selectivity for F⁻over the other halides, as much as 10¹³, an enhancement of six orders of magnitude when compared to the H-bonding receptor.

A ferrocene-based organogel with multi-stimuli properties and applications in naked-eye recognition of F− and Al3+

Ferrocene-based gelator F-6/chloroform gel exhibited multi-stimuli responsiveness, through which ‘naked eye’ recognition of both Al³⁺ and F⁻ was realized.

Highly Selective Halide Receptors Based on Chalcogen, Pnicogen, and Tetrel Bonds

The interactions of halides with a number of bipodal receptors were examined by quantum chemical methods. The receptors were based on a dithieno thiophene framework in which two S atoms can engage in a pair of chalcogen bonds with a halide. These two S atoms were replaced by P and As atoms to compare chalcogen with pnicogen bonding, and by Ge which engages in tetrel bonds with the receptor. Zero, one, and two O atoms were added to the thiophene S atom which is not directly involved in the interaction with the halides. Fluoride bound the most strongly, followed by Cl^- , Br^- , and I^- , respectively. Replacing S by the pnicogen bonds of P strengthened the binding, as did moving down to As in the third row of the periodic table. A further large increment is associated with the switch to the tetrel bonds of Ge. Even though the thiophene S atom is remote from the binding site, each additional O atom added to it raises the binding energy, which can be quite large, as much as 63 kcal mol^-1 for the Ge⋅⋅⋅F^- interaction. The receptors have a pronounced selectivity for F^- over the other halides, as high as 27 orders of magnitude. The data suggest that incorporation of tetrel atoms may lead to new and more powerful halide receptors.

Charge Transfer Modulated Self-Assembly in Poly(aryl ether) Dendron Derivatives with Improved Stability and Transport Characteristics

Alteration of native gelation properties of anthracene and pyrene cored first generation poly(aryl ether) dendrons, G1-An and G1-Py, by introducing a common acceptor, 2,4,7-trinitro-9H-fluoren-9-one (TNF), results in forming charge transfer gels in long chain alcoholic solvents. This strategy leads to significant perturbation of optical and electronic properties within the gel matrix. Consequently, a noticeable increase of their electrical conductivities is observed, making these poly(aryl ether) dendron based gels potential candidates for organic electronics. While the dc-conductivity (σ) value for the native gel from G1-An is 2.8 × 10^-4 S m^-1, the value increased 3 times (σ = 8.7 × 10^-4 S m^-1) for its corresponding charge transfer gel. Further, the dc-conductivity for the native gel self-assembled from G1-Py dramatically enhanced by approximately an order of magnitude from 4.9 × 10^-4 to 1.3 × 10^-3 S m^-1, under the influence of an acceptor. Apart from H-bonding and π···π interactions, charge transfer results in the formation of a robust 3D network of fibers, with improved aspect ratio, providing high thermo-mechanical stability to the gels compared to the native ones. The charge transfer gels self-assembled from G1-An/TNF (1:1) and G1-Py/TNF exhibit a 7.3- and 2.5-fold increase in their yield stress, respectively, compared to their native assemblies. A similar trend follows in the case of their thermal stabilities. This is attributed to the typical bilayer self-assembly of the former which is not present in the case of G1-Py/TNF charge transfer gel. Density functional calculations provide deeper insights accounting for the role of charge transfer interactions in the mode of self-assembly. The 1D potential energy surface for the G1-An/TNF dimer and G1-Py/TNF dimer is found to be 11.8 and 1.9 kcal mol^-1 more stable than their corresponding native gel dimers, G1-An/G1-An and G1-Py/G1-Py, respectively.

From Weakness to Strength: C-H/π-Interaction-Guided Self-Assembly and Gelation of Poly(benzyl ether) Dendrimers

The C-H/π interactions as the key driving force for the construction of supramolecular gels remain a great challenge because of their weak nature. We hereby employed for the first time weak C-H/π interactions for the construction of supramolecular dendritic gels based on peripherally methyl-functionalized poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers. Their gelation property is highly dependent on the nature of the peripheral methyl groups. Furthermore, single-crystal X-ray analysis and NMR spectroscopy revealed that multiple C-H/π interactions between the proton of the methyl group and the electron-rich peripheral methyl-substituted aryl ring played significant roles in the formation of supramolecular nanofibers and organogels. This study uncovers the critical role of weak noncovalent interactions and provides new insights into the further design of self-assembled nanomaterials.

Halogen bonding anion recognition

The development of solution-based anion receptor molecules which exploit halogen bonding interactions is an emerging area of research. This Feature Article reviews recent advances which have been made in this rapidly developing field, surveying the use of iodoperfluoroarene, haloimidazolium and halotriazole/triazolium halogen-bond-donor motifs in anion receptor design and describing the application of mechanically interlocked rotaxane and catenane frameworks as halogen bonding anion host systems.