Functional Capsules via Subcomponent Self-Assembly

作者：Dawei Zhang, Tanya K. Ronson, Jonathan R. Nitschke · 发表于：Accounts of Chemical Research · 年份：2018 · DOI：10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00303 · 被引用次数：506 · 研究领域：Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials、Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes、Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence

Conspectus Coordination-driven self-assembly can produce large, symmetrical, hollow cages that are synthetically easy to access. The functions provided by these aesthetically attractive structures provide a driving force for their development, enabling practical applications. For instance, cages have provided new methods of molecular recognition, chirality sensing, separations, stabilization of reactive species, and catalysis. We have fruitfully employed subcomponent self-assembly to prepare metal–organic capsules from simple building blocks via the simultaneous formation of dynamic coordinative (N→metal) and covalent (N═C) bonds. Design strategies employ multidentate pyridyl–imine ligands to define either the edges or the faces of polyhedral structures. Octahedral metal ions, such as Fe II, Co II, Ni II, Zn II, and Cd II, constitute the vertices. The generality of this technique has enabled the preparation of capsules with diverse three-dimensional structures. This Account highlights how fundamental investigations into the host–guest chemistry of capsules prepared through subcomponent self-assembly have led to the design of useful functions and new applications. We start by discussing simple host–guest systems involving a single capsule and continue to systems that include multiple capsules and guests, whose interactions give rise to complex functional behavior. Many of the capsules presented herein bind varied neutral guests, including aromatic or aliphatic molecules, biomo...