Mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) have gained increasing interest during the last decades, not only because of their aesthetic appeal, but also because their unique properties have allowed them to find applications in nanotechnology, catalysis, chemosensing and biomedicine. Herein we describe how a pyrene molecule with four octynyl substituents can be easily encapsulated within the cavity of a tetragold(I) rectangle-like metallobox, by template formation of the metallo-assembly in the presence of the guest. The resulting assembly behaves as a mechanically interlocked molecule (MIM), in which the four long limbs of the guest protrude from the entrances of the metallobox, thus locking the guest inside the cavity of the metallobox. The new assembly resembles a metallo-suit[4]ane, given the number of protruding long limbs and the presence of the metal atoms in the host molecule. However, unlike normal MIMs, this molecule can release the tetra-substituted pyrene guest by the addition of coronene, which can smoothly replace the guest in the cavity of the metallobox. Combined experimental and computational studies allowed the role of the coronene molecule in facilitating the release of the tetrasubstituted pyrene guest to be explained, through a process that we named "shoehorning", as the coronene compresses the flexible limbs of the guest so that it can reduce its size to slide in and out the metallobox.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202301914 | DOI Listing |
Chem Rev
January 2025
Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
Template-directed synthesis has become a powerful methodology to access complex molecules. Noncovalent templating has been widely used in the last few decades, but less attention has been paid to covalent template-directed synthesis, despite the fact that this methodology was used for the first reported synthesis of a catenane. This review highlights the evolution of covalent templating over the last 60 years, thereby providing a toolbox for the design of efficient covalent templating processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
TU Dortmund University, Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44227, Dortmund, GERMANY.
Precise control over the catenation process in interlocked supramolecular systems remains a significant challenge. Here, we report a system in which a lantern-shaped Pd2L4 cage can dimerize to form two distinct Pd4L8 catenanes with different interlocking degree: a previously described quadruply interlocked double cage motif of D4 symmetry and an unprecedented triply interlocked structure of C2h symmetry. While the former structure features a linear arrangement of four Pd(II) centers, separated by three mechanically linked pockets, the new motif has a staggered shape.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioconjug Chem
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry Section, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India.
Herein, a water-soluble, ultrabright, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent, mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs)-peptide bioconjugate is designed with dual targeting capabilities. Cancer cell surface overexpressed αβ integrin targeting two RGDS tetrapeptide residues is tethered at the macrocycle of MIMs-peptide bioconjugate via Cu(I)-catalyzed click chemistry on the Wang resin, and mitochondria targeting lipophilic cationic TPP functionality is conjugated at the axle dye. Living carcinoma cell selective active targeting, subsequently cell penetration, mitochondrial imaging, including the ultrastructure of cristae, and real-time tracking of malignant mitochondria by MIMs-peptide bioconjugate (RGDS)-Mito-MIMs-TPP are established by stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
Henan University, Colleg of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Jingmin, 475004, Kaifeng, CHINA.
Cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) represent a significant challenge for the synthesis of mechanically interlocked architectures, because they lack heteroatoms, which precludes traditional active and passive template methods. To circumvent this problem and explore the fundamental and functional properties of CPP rotaxanes and catenanes, researches have resorted to unusual non-covalent and even to labor-intensive covalent template approaches. Herein, we report a ring-in-ring non-covalent template strategy that makes use of the surprisingly strong non-covalent inclusion of crown ethers into suitably sized CPPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Center of Materials Analysis, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China.
G-quadruplex (G4), an important secondary structure of nucleic acids, is polymorphic in structure. G4 monomers can associate with each other to form multimers, which show better application performance than monomers in some aspects. G4 dimers, the simplest and most widespread multimeric structures, are often used as a representative for studying multimers.
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