Article
Polymer Science
Yuezhou Liu, Liqing Shangguan, Baodong Zhao, Bin Chen, Bingbing Shi, Yinglei Wang
Summary: Two cross-linked supramolecular polymers were prepared using the molecular recognition of pillar[5]arene and the coordination/oxidation of catechol. Additionally, two supramolecular glues were obtained at high concentrations of the cross-linked supramolecular polymers. Both glues exhibited thermo-responsiveness, while only one showed pH-responsiveness due to the unique characteristic of the catechol-Fe3+ coordination complex. This work will aid in the design and preparation of catechol-based supramolecular biomimetic materials and promote the development of functional cross-linked supramolecular polymers.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tan-Hao Shi, Shunsuke Ohtani, Kenichi Kato, Shixin Fa, Tomoki Ogoshi
Summary: Pillar[n]arenes typically form 1:1 host-guest complexes with guest molecules, but unique properties arise from the formation of new structures and the crystalline state. Cooperative binding of guest molecules to pillar[n]arene assemblies is crucial to achieve unique host-guest behavior. Moreover, planar chirality of pillar[n]arenes allows for chiral inversion, memory, and erasure, which is coupled with their host-guest properties. In this review, the diversity, functionality, and supramolecular chirality of host-guest pillar[n]arene assemblies are discussed.
TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yingtao Fan, Kaitai Hu, Junyi Nan, Yingzhong Shen
Summary: Two AIE macrocycles, DMP[5]-TPE and PCP[5]-TPE, were prepared by embedding TPE unit into the skeletons of DMP[5] and [15]PCP. Crystal analysis showed a distorted cavity in PCP[5]-TPE, while DMP[5]-TPE exhibited a distinct molecular conformation change when hexane was incubated inside the cavity. The UV absorption experiments revealed that the distorted cavity of DMP[5]-TPE hindered its association with DCB.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dahai Liu, Jianshi Du, Shaolong Qi, Mengyao Li, Jianfeng Wang, Meihan Liu, Xianlong Du, Xinyu Wang, Bichen Ren, Dan Wu, Jie Shen
Summary: Fluorophores with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics have attracted attention for their sensitivity and photostability, and have been utilized for disease diagnosis and therapy. Host-guest chemistry is used to restrict the intramolecular rotation of AIE luminogens, enhancing their AIE effect. Supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs) with high emission are prepared and used as fluorescent probes for living cell imaging, showing superior photostability.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Wenhui Liu, Weiwei Xu, Hang-Hang Luan, Guang Li, Junan Liu, Fan Zhang, Haibing Li, Zhiyan Lu
Summary: In this study, a functional chiral gold surface was constructed to recognize L-ribose based on host-guest interactions, showing good detection effect and recyclability.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Helena Butkiewicz, Sandra Kosiorek, Volodymyr Sashuk, Magdalena M. Zimnicka, Oksana Danylyuk
Summary: In this study, the solid state supramolecular chemistry of carboxylated pillar[6]arene was explored, and the structure of carboxylated pillar[6]arene was authenticated for the first time. The successful crystallographic authentication was achieved through the host-guest inclusion complexes of carboxylated pillar[6]arene with methyl viologen and pentamidine. The conformation of pillar[6]arene in the inclusion complex was found to be quasi-pentagonal, deviating from the expected hexagonal shape. These results provide insight into the control of the conformation of flexible pillar[6]arene and the design of advanced supramolecular host-guest structures in the solid state.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lu Liu, Yiming Hu, Shaofeng Huang, Yinghua Jin, Jingnan Cui, Weitao Gong, Wei Zhang
Summary: Integrating macrocyclic hosts into ordered porous polymeric frameworks can transform established supramolecular chemistry principles into the solid state for practical applications such as molecular separation, catalysis, and pollution remediation. A novel pillar[5]arene-derived hetero-porous COF, P5-COF, with selective gas adsorption and enhanced host-guest binding interactions, was successfully designed and synthesized in this study, demonstrating a new strategy for developing COFs with customizable molecular recognition/separation properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huaqiang Ju, Chao Nan Zhu, Hu Wang, Zachariah A. Page, Zi Liang Wu, Jonathan L. Sessler, Feihe Huang
Summary: This study introduces a stimuli-responsive invisible ink for time-dependent encryption of information, which displays time-dependent photochromic behavior with tailorable fading rates by controlling the density of host-guest crosslinks. Encryption security of information is achieved through selectively placing host and guest competitors and UV patterning, providing an initially false image that gradually reveals the encrypted data.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Guang Li, Wen Gong, Lei Yang, Ming Cheng, Hewei Yan, Jiaxin Quan, Fan Zhang, Zhiyan Lu, Haibing Li
Summary: The study successfully fabricated a planar-chiral NH2pillar[5]arene modified silicon surface for highly enantioselective adsorption of proteins, providing deeper insights into the chiral influence of protein adsorption on biointerfaces.
BIOCONJUGATE CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiuxiu Li, Zhiying Wu, Qi Wang, Zheng-Yi Li, Xiao-Qiang Sun, Tangxin Xiao
Summary: By designing and synthesizing a guest molecule with a short alkyl spacer, and complexing it with a water-soluble pillar[5]arene, the resulting host-guest complex can self-assemble into fluorescence-emitting nanoparticles in water. By loading a dye Rhodamine 6G, an efficient artificial light-harvesting system with high donor/acceptor ratios was constructed, exhibiting considerable antenna effects.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhanqi Cao, Fan Yang, Dongpu Wu, Lulu Wu, Lijie Liu, Guoxing Liu, Xiaochuan Li, Xin Zheng, Xianfu Zheng, Dahui Qu
Summary: A novel pillar[5]arene-bridged monomer with TPE and nitrile group was synthesized and it formed supramolecular aggregates based on the host-guest interaction. The supramolecular aggregates exhibited significant aggregation-induced emission due to the restricted intramolecular rotation of the TPE core.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jianbing Jin, Jiarong Miao, Chuyang Cheng
Summary: A mono-mercapto-functionalized pillar[5]arene and its dimer were synthesized and found to be reversibly interconverted, with a faster reversible redox conversion observed in their host-guest complexes compared to the hosts themselves.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Bingbing Shi, Weichun Li, Peng Qin, Xing-Xing Zhao, Xiao-Ni Qi, Yongping Chai, Hao-Hang Yang, Wen-Juan Qu, Hong Yao, You-Ming Zhang, Tai-Bo Wei, Qi Lin
Summary: This study presented a highly selective and stable vapochromic system constructed by pillar[5]arene-based host-guest interactions, showing specific selective responsiveness to chloroform vapor. The material can maintain its color stably in air for at least two months, and thin film and LED responsive to CHCl3 vapor were successfully prepared as well.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ming Cheng, Fei Zhu, Weiwei Xu, Siyun Zhang, Manivannan Kalavathi Dhinakaran, Haibing Li
Summary: The creation of chiral OMS nanochannels by introducing L-alanine-pillar[5]arene host in achiral OMS has shown excellent selectivity in separating racemic drugs with high reusability and stability. The enantioselective separation mechanism was identified as molecular-recognition-adsorbed transport. This work demonstrates the significant potential of chiral OMS nanochannels for enantioselective separation.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
R. V. Shamagsumova, T. N. Kulikova, A. V. Porfireva, D. N. Shurpik, I. I. Stoikov, A. M. Rogov, D. I. Stoikov, G. A. Evtugyn
Summary: For the first time, the electrochemical behavior of pillar[n]arene[m]quinone (n + m = 5, n = 2-4) was investigated in aqueous media on a glassy carbon electrode. The compounds showed quasi-reversible redox conversion to hydroquinone derivatives, with the stoichiometry of electron and hydrogen ions transfer being consistent. The peak currents were affected by steric factors and self-aggregation, and the adsorption of the macrocycles on the electrode improved the electron exchange conditions.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Xiujun Yu, Chenxing Guo, Shuai Lu, Zhi Chen, Heng Wang, Xiaopeng Li
Summary: This review summarizes the progress on 3D metallosupramolecular architectures based on terpyridine, and discusses the methods for the design and construction of discrete structures with molecular-level precision through coordination-driven self-assembly.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ehsan Raee, Bingqing Liu, Yuqing Yang, Trishool Namani, Yunpeng Cui, Nita Sahai, Xiaopeng Li, Tianbo Liu
Summary: This study reveals that the self-assembly of chiral Pd12L24 metal-organic cages can be influenced by the size of the amino acid side group used as the chiral counterion. Bulkier side groups can erase chiral discrimination, while smaller side groups result in chiral discrimination.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuling Xu, Chonglu Li, Shuai Lu, Zhizheng Wang, Shuang Liu, Xiujun Yu, Xiaopeng Li, Yao Sun
Summary: In this study, a Ru(II) metallacycle with long-wavelength emission was rationally designed for deep optical penetration and enhanced chemo-phototherapy activity in vivo. The metallacycle exhibited prominent anticancer capability against various cancer cell lines, especially cisplatin-resistant cells, through inducing cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Precise NIR-II fluorescence imaging guided and long-term monitored chemo-phototherapy was achieved with minimal side effects in A549 tumor model.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shu-Jin Bao, Ze-Ming Xu, Tian-Chen Yu, Ying-Lin Song, Heng Wang, Zheng Niu, Xiaopeng Li, Brendan F. Abrahams, Pierre Braunstein, Jian-Ping Lang
Summary: In this study, a new method was proposed to design and construct unique cage assemblies using a flexible vertex with adjustable angles. Highly distorted tetrahedral and octahedral cages were selectively formed for the first time, with the flexible vertex formed from the synergistic effect of coordination and covalent interactions. The interligand angle of the vertex could be modulated by guest anions, allowing for the fine-tuning of different cage geometries. Reversible structural transformations between tetrahedral and octahedral cages were achieved through anion exchange, and the KBr-based cage thin films exhibited significantly enhanced third-order NLO responses.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haifei Liu, Zeyuan Zhang, Chaoqun Mu, Lingzhi Ma, Hongye Yuan, Sanliang Ling, Heng Wang, Xiaopeng Li, Mingming Zhang
Summary: In this study, we report the synthesis of deep blue-emissive metallacages based on hexaphenylbenzene (HPB) through multicomponent coordination-driven self-assembly. These metallacages adopt a prismatic structure with HPB derivatives as the faces and tetracarboxylic ligands as the pillars. Light-harvesting systems were constructed using the metallacages as the energy donors and a naphthalimide derivative (NAP) as the energy acceptor, resulting in bright emission of NAP in the solid state. This study contributes to the development of emissive metallacages as luminescent materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiangqiang Shi, Hao Yin, Rundi Song, Jie Xu, Jiajia Tan, Xin Zhou, Jie Cen, Zhengyu Deng, Huimin Tong, Chenhui Cui, Yanfeng Zhang, Xiaopeng Li, Zhengbiao Zhang, Shiyong Liu
Summary: In this study, a modular construction method for precise sequence-defined amphiphilic polymers was reported, and direct sequence reading and quantification were achieved using mass spectrometry. In vivo experiments enabled the comparison of the biological properties of different types of polymers.
Review
Cell Biology
Zhongzhou Su, Yingze Ye, Chengen Shen, Sheng Qiu, Yao Sun, Siping Hu, Xiaoxing Xiong, Yuntao Li, Liqin Li, Hongfa Wang
Summary: This review highlights the role of ncRNAs in the pathophysiological processes of ischemic stroke and their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ge Zhang, Hua-Rong Ye, Yao Sun, Zhen-Zhong Guo
Summary: Ultrasound contrast agents have been widely used in ultrasound molecular cancer imaging to improve the detection and characterization of tumors. This review provides an overview of the various types of contrast agents used in ultrasound molecular imaging and discusses their recent development and future perspectives.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qi Yu, Le Tu, Ting Zhu, Hongda Zhu, Shujuan Liu, Yao Sun, Qiang Zhao
Summary: Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising cancer treatment, but its efficacy is limited by the self-recovery of cancer cells. To overcome this limitation, researchers have introduced hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to enhance the efficacy of PTT. They developed nanovesicles for the delivery of H2S and synergistic H2S gas therapy/PTT. The results demonstrate that this new strategy has good antitumor effects.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qian Wu, Qian Lei, Hai-Chen Zhong, Tian-Bing Ren, Yao Sun, Xiao-Bing Zhang, Lin Yuan
Summary: Recently, the use of supramolecular chemistry to construct fluorescent systems based on macrocyclic hosts has gained significant attention. These systems have proven to be effective in overcoming the limitations of imaging and diagnostic reagents, and have been successful in enhancing their performances. This paper provides a summary of the recent advances in supramolecular fluorescent systems, their application in bioimaging and therapy, as well as the challenges and prospects in developing novel systems.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Guo Li, Mingmin Wu, Yongxiao Xu, Qi Wang, Jinxia Liu, Xiaobo Zhou, Haiwei Ji, Qu Tang, Xijuan Gu, Shujuan Liu, Yuling Qin, Li Wu, Qiang Zhao
Summary: Hypoxia is a major challenge in translating photodynamic therapy (PDT) into clinical applications. Singlet oxygen carriers have been used to alleviate tumor hypoxia and enhance the therapeutic effect of PDT. This review summarizes recent progress in the design and preparation of singlet oxygen carriers, discusses the molecular backbone and mechanism of reversible trap and release of singlet oxygen, and explores the enhanced PDT achieved by innovative singlet oxygen carriers. The review also identifies critical points for singlet oxygen carrier design and provides an outlook for future research and development in this field.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yuling Xu, You Dou, Qian Li, Huan Ye, Yuntao Li, Sheng Qiu, Xiaoxing Xiong, Junrong Li, Yao Sun
Summary: In the past decade, the biomedical applications of metallacycles/metallacages have been hindered by their short emission wavelengths, which make it difficult to track their delivery, targeting ability, biodistribution, and therapeutic evaluation in vivo. However, the near-infrared biochannel, especially the NIR-II region, offers deeper tissue penetration and higher contrast for in vivo imaging. We provide a comprehensive overview of the development of NIR metallacycles/metallacages for biomedical applications and discuss the challenges and prospects for future research and clinical translation.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zhipeng Zhang, Huan Ye, Fei Cai, Yao Sun
Summary: Recently, there has been growing interest in metal-based drugs in the biomedical field. However, their limited excitation/emission wavelengths and therapeutic efficiency have hindered their biological applications in vivo. The development of multifunctional near-infrared metal agents for imaging and therapy in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) has received significant attention. Supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) formed by coordination-driven self-assembly of NIR-II emissive ligands have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges. These SCCs, with metal receptors possessing chemotherapeutic properties, can bind to luminescent ligands, offering a versatile platform for chemotherapy, imaging, and phototherapy. This review provides a systematic summary of the evolution of NIR-II emissive SCCs for biomedical applications and discusses future challenges and prospects.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chonglu Li, Yida Pang, Yuling Xu, Mengjiao Lu, Le Tu, Qian Li, Amit Sharma, Zhenzhong Guo, Xiangyang Li, Yao Sun
Summary: Metal agents have made significant progress in preclinical research and clinical applications. However, their short emission/absorption wavelengths pose challenges in distribution, therapeutic action, visual tracking, and efficacy evaluation. The near-infrared window (NIR, 650-1700 nm) provides a more accurate imaging and treatment option, leading to ongoing research in the development of multifunctional NIR metal agents for deeper tissue penetration. This overview discusses the design, characteristics, bioimaging, and therapy of NIR metal agents, along with the challenges and prospects for future biomedical research and clinical translation.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jinjin Zhang, Jialin Yu, Wen Li, Yiqi Fan, Yang Li, Yan Sun, Shouchun Yin, Peter J. Stang
Summary: This study reports a rhombic metallacycle with broad absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) range and high photothermal conversion capacity. The metallacycle was encapsulated into biocompatible and hydrophilic nanoparticles, which demonstrated efficient cellular uptake and satisfactory photothermal therapeutic activity both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the nanoparticles could be visualized through NIR fluorescence imaging, allowing for the monitoring of their distribution during photothermal therapy.
