Thermally-induced atropisomerism promotes metal-organic cage construction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38071355.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-43756-4 and PMC identifier 10710450.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Molecular folding regulation with environmental stimuli is critical in living and artificial molecular machine systems. Herein, we described a macrocycle, cyclo[4] (1,3-(4,6-dimethyl)benzene)[4](1,3-(4,6-dimethyl)benzene)(4-pyridine). Under 298 K, it has three stable stiff atropisomers with names as 1 (Cs symmetry), 2 (Cs symmetry), and 3 (C4v symmetry). At 393 K, 1 can reversibly transform into 2, but at 473 K, it can irrevocably transform into 3. At 338 K, 3 and (PhCN)2PdCl2 complex to produce the metal-organic cage 4. Only at 338 K does the combination of 1 or 2 and (PhCN)2PdCl2 create a gel-like structure. Heating both gels to 473 K transforms them into 4. In addition to offering a thermally accelerated method for modifying self-assembled systems using macrocyclic building blocks, this study also has the potential to develop the nanoscale transformation material with a thermal response.