Work

A conformationally adaptable tetrahedral cage with different guest encapsulation models

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: -methyl-pyridyl units. Within the cage framework, each of the twelve pyridines undergoes pivoting around the corresponding imine-pyridine-phenyl axle, endowing the cage with adaptable conformations. By modulating the number of pyridyl nitrogen atoms that point inwards, the cage can switch the effective volume of its cavity where a wide range of guest molecules including quaternary ammoniums, or different amounts of alkali cations, are encapsulated, by utilizing dipole-cation forces and/or hydrogen bonding. This behavior is reminiscent of biological enzymes that can adjust their conformations to optimize binding affinity.

Source: Chemical Science

DOI: 10.1039/d5sc01474c