A contorted nanographene shelter

Huang Wu; Yu Wang; Bo Song; Hui Juan Wang; Jiawang Zhou; Yixun Sun; Leighton O. Jones; Wenqi Liu; Long Zhang; Xuan Zhang; Kang Cai; Xiao Yang Chen; Charlotte L. Stern; Junfa Wei; Omar K. Farha; Jessica M. Anna; George C. Schatz; Yu Liu; J. Fraser Stoddart

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6

A contorted nanographene shelter

Huang Wu, Yu Wang, Bo Song, Hui Juan Wang, Jiawang Zhou, Yixun Sun, Leighton O. Jones, Wenqi Liu, Long Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Kang Cai, Xiao Yang Chen, Charlotte L. Stern, Junfa Wei, Omar K. Farha, Jessica M. Anna, George C. Schatz, Yu Liu^*, J. Fraser Stoddart^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nanographenes have kindled considerable interest in the fields of materials science and supramolecular chemistry as a result of their unique self-assembling and optoelectronic properties. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside artificial receptors, however, remains challenging. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a trigonal prismatic hexacationic cage, which has a large cavity and adopts a relatively flexible conformation. It serves as a receptor, not only for planar coronene, but also for contorted nanographene derivatives with diameters of approximately 15 Å and thicknesses of 7 Å. A comprehensive investigation of the host-guest interactions in the solid, solution and gaseous states by experimentation and theoretical calculations reveals collectively an induced-fit binding mechanism with high binding affinities between the cage and the nanographenes. Notably, the photostability of the nanographenes is improved significantly by the ultrafast deactivation of their excited states within the cage. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside the cage provides a noncovalent strategy for regulating their photoreactivity.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	5191
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6
State	Published - Dec 1 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General
Physics and Astronomy(all)
Chemistry(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6

Cite this

@article{aed9b7d97ef8493dbdbcfe71dd7d41bc,

title = "A contorted nanographene shelter",

abstract = "Nanographenes have kindled considerable interest in the fields of materials science and supramolecular chemistry as a result of their unique self-assembling and optoelectronic properties. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside artificial receptors, however, remains challenging. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a trigonal prismatic hexacationic cage, which has a large cavity and adopts a relatively flexible conformation. It serves as a receptor, not only for planar coronene, but also for contorted nanographene derivatives with diameters of approximately 15 {\AA} and thicknesses of 7 {\AA}. A comprehensive investigation of the host-guest interactions in the solid, solution and gaseous states by experimentation and theoretical calculations reveals collectively an induced-fit binding mechanism with high binding affinities between the cage and the nanographenes. Notably, the photostability of the nanographenes is improved significantly by the ultrafast deactivation of their excited states within the cage. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside the cage provides a noncovalent strategy for regulating their photoreactivity.",

author = "Huang Wu and Yu Wang and Bo Song and Wang, {Hui Juan} and Jiawang Zhou and Yixun Sun and Jones, {Leighton O.} and Wenqi Liu and Long Zhang and Xuan Zhang and Kang Cai and Chen, {Xiao Yang} and Stern, {Charlotte L.} and Junfa Wei and Farha, {Omar K.} and Anna, {Jessica M.} and Schatz, {George C.} and Yu Liu and {Fraser Stoddart}, J.",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Northwestern University (NU) for its support of this research. This research made use of the IMSERC X-ray crystallography facility at Northwestern University, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS–2025633), and Northwestern University. The authors would like to thank Professor Bradley D. Smith for technical support relating to the stopped-flow experiments. H.W., J.Z., L.O.J., W.L., J.M.A., G.C.S., and J.F.S. are grateful for support from the Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals (CSSM), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI), grant number CHE-1925708. O.K.F. acknowledges the support from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency under award number HDTRA1-19-1-0010. Theoretical investigations were supported by the Department of Energy, as part of the Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction (CMQT) under grant DE-SC0021314. Theoretical investigations were also supported in part by the computational resources and staff contributions provided for by the Quest High-Performance Computing Facility at NU, which is jointly supported by the Office of the Provost, the Office for Research, and Northwestern University Information Technology. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s).",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "12",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A contorted nanographene shelter

AU - Wu, Huang

AU - Wang, Yu

AU - Song, Bo

AU - Wang, Hui Juan

AU - Zhou, Jiawang

AU - Sun, Yixun

AU - Jones, Leighton O.

AU - Liu, Wenqi

AU - Zhang, Long

AU - Zhang, Xuan

AU - Cai, Kang

AU - Chen, Xiao Yang

AU - Stern, Charlotte L.

AU - Wei, Junfa

AU - Farha, Omar K.

AU - Anna, Jessica M.

AU - Schatz, George C.

AU - Liu, Yu

AU - Fraser Stoddart, J.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Northwestern University (NU) for its support of this research. This research made use of the IMSERC X-ray crystallography facility at Northwestern University, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS–2025633), and Northwestern University. The authors would like to thank Professor Bradley D. Smith for technical support relating to the stopped-flow experiments. H.W., J.Z., L.O.J., W.L., J.M.A., G.C.S., and J.F.S. are grateful for support from the Center for Sustainable Separations of Metals (CSSM), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI), grant number CHE-1925708. O.K.F. acknowledges the support from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency under award number HDTRA1-19-1-0010. Theoretical investigations were supported by the Department of Energy, as part of the Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction (CMQT) under grant DE-SC0021314. Theoretical investigations were also supported in part by the computational resources and staff contributions provided for by the Quest High-Performance Computing Facility at NU, which is jointly supported by the Office of the Provost, the Office for Research, and Northwestern University Information Technology. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - Nanographenes have kindled considerable interest in the fields of materials science and supramolecular chemistry as a result of their unique self-assembling and optoelectronic properties. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside artificial receptors, however, remains challenging. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a trigonal prismatic hexacationic cage, which has a large cavity and adopts a relatively flexible conformation. It serves as a receptor, not only for planar coronene, but also for contorted nanographene derivatives with diameters of approximately 15 Å and thicknesses of 7 Å. A comprehensive investigation of the host-guest interactions in the solid, solution and gaseous states by experimentation and theoretical calculations reveals collectively an induced-fit binding mechanism with high binding affinities between the cage and the nanographenes. Notably, the photostability of the nanographenes is improved significantly by the ultrafast deactivation of their excited states within the cage. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside the cage provides a noncovalent strategy for regulating their photoreactivity.

AB - Nanographenes have kindled considerable interest in the fields of materials science and supramolecular chemistry as a result of their unique self-assembling and optoelectronic properties. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside artificial receptors, however, remains challenging. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a trigonal prismatic hexacationic cage, which has a large cavity and adopts a relatively flexible conformation. It serves as a receptor, not only for planar coronene, but also for contorted nanographene derivatives with diameters of approximately 15 Å and thicknesses of 7 Å. A comprehensive investigation of the host-guest interactions in the solid, solution and gaseous states by experimentation and theoretical calculations reveals collectively an induced-fit binding mechanism with high binding affinities between the cage and the nanographenes. Notably, the photostability of the nanographenes is improved significantly by the ultrafast deactivation of their excited states within the cage. Encapsulating the contorted nanographenes inside the cage provides a noncovalent strategy for regulating their photoreactivity.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114054936&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85114054936&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-25255-6

M3 - Article

C2 - 34465772

AN - SCOPUS:85114054936

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 12

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 5191

ER -

A contorted nanographene shelter

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

CCDC 2045282: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

CCDC 2044797: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

CCDC 2045290: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Cite this

A contorted nanographene shelter

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Datasets

CCDC 2045282: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

CCDC 2044797: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

CCDC 2045290: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Cite this