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An aromatic metallo-annulene, comprising a 15-carbon macrocycle enclosing an osmium complex, with the metal residing within the plane of the macrocycle is reported.

Intramolecular coupling of extended biphen[n]arenes is developed to yield cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs). The modular nature of biphen[n]arenes makes it possible to customize CPP structures, which permits tuning of their photophysical properties. The syntheses are short and excellent yields are achieved. Moreover, postsynthetic functionalization is possible.

Macrocyles capable of hosting other molecules inside their hollow interiors have been used extensively to make threaded complexes and interlocked molecules. Now, a relatively large and flexible tetracationic macrocycle has been shown to bind anionic guests to form pseudorotaxanes that form extended structures in solution and the solid state.

Purely organic molecules with complex interlocked architectures have proved difficult to prepare in water. Now, a three-dimensional organic [2]catenane has been obtained in a weakly acidic aqueous solution, through an almost quantitative self-assembly process relying on dynamic hydrazone linkages. The catenane is kinetically stable in neutral and weakly basic environments.

Realization of the bicyclic aromaticity has attracted much attention because of the potential to modulate the fundamental properties of 3D aromatic organic molecules that are not topologically planar. Now, the synthesis and characterization of dual-aromatic molecules, and their electronically mixed [4n+1]/[4n+1] triplet bi-radical species displaying Baird-type aromaticity, has been realized.

A metal–organic framework (MOF)–pillar[5]arene hybrid can bind small molecules with long alkyl chains, such that single-crystal structures of the host–guest complexes can be obtained and therefore small molecular structures determined.

Carbaporphyrin dimers, known for their interesting photophysical properties and application in metal-organic chemistry, generally contain two identical subunits. Here, the authors highlight the benefits that can accrue from breaking the inherent symmetry of carbaporphyrin dimers and details a new approach to creating heterobimetallic complexes.

Nanographenes, finite models of graphene sheets, are endowed with intriguing optical, electronic, and spintronic features which can be tuned by replacing carbon via heteroatom-doping. Here the authors extend the concept of heteroatom nanographene doping to include metal centers.

Directly linked porphyrin dimers show intriguing electronic features but emphasis has been placed on planar monomeric units. Here, the authors report a Twisted-Planar-Twisted framework which can undergo a cis-trans transformation accompanied by a colour change in presence of methanol, making this framework applicable as a methanol sensor.

Converting natural wood to room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials is a complex process often requiring toxic reagents. Here the authors convert natural wood to a RTP material using external chloride ions from a MgCl2 solution, obtaining a promising luminescent additive material for 3D printing.

Multistate molecular systems usually rely on external energy inputs to switch between states. Here, the authors show that a bispyridyl calixpyrrole system directed by only weak noncovalent interactions and metal coordination can access six discrete structural states, with directional and sequential control.

Frameworks containing flexible macrocycle units provide opportunities in molecular recognition and separation. Here authors present MOFs with uniformly embedded pillar[5]arene that can recognise paraquat and 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene in solution and selectively remove trace pyridine from toluene.

A squaramide-based anion transporter has now been shown to cause changes in the lysosomal pH leading to impairment of lysosomal enzyme activity and disruption of autophagic processes. The study provides the first experimental evidence that synthetic ion transporters can both disrupt autophagy and induce apoptosis.

Host-guest solid state molecular motion is a critical but underexplored phenomenon which can be used to control molecular machines that function in the solid state. Here, the authors describe a solid state machine that shows solvent vapour- and mechanically-induced molecular motion that allows access to different crystalline and amorphous forms.

A 24 π-electron antiaromatic hexaphyrin derivative (rosarin) with a near-planar geometry enforced by bridging phenylene groups has been shown to undergo a proton-coupled electron transfer reduction when treated with certain protic acids. The reduction proceeds in a stepwise fashion to give first a 25 π-electron non-aromatic system and then a 26 π-electron aromatic ring.

Metal-mediated self-assembly in solution typically leads to small two- and three-dimensional architectures on scales smaller than 10 nm, but now a series of large, discrete, two-dimensional supramolecular hexagonal grids have been prepared through a combination of intra- and intermolecular coordination interactions. These 20-nm-wide grids have been imaged at submolecular resolution using scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Anion transporters that disrupt cellular ion homeostasis could represent a new approach for generating therapeutic lead compounds. Now, two pyridine diamide-strapped calix[4]pyrroles have been shown to induce coupled chloride anion and sodium cation transport in liposomal models and cells. These compounds promote cell death by increasing intracellular chloride and sodium ion concentrations.