Near-Infrared-Emissive Self-assembled Polymers <Emphasis Type="Italic">via</Emphasis> the Implementation of Molecular Tweezer/Guest Complexation on a Supramolecular Coordination Complex Platform

Coordination-driven self-assembly strategy has demonstrated the efficiency and versatility to construct well-ordered supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) such as discrete metallacycles and metallacages.In recent years,it has aroused tremendous interest to build more complexed self-assembled structures via the implementation of additional non-covalent recognition motifs on the SCCs platform.In this work,we have successfully attained this objective,with the elaborate manipulation of non-interfering pyridine-Pt2+and molecular tweezer/guest complexation in a hierarchical self-assembly manner.The resulting SCCs-based linear supramolecular polymers exhibit intriguing NIR-emissive behaviors,primarily attributed to the presence of intermolecular Pt(Ⅱ)-Pt(Ⅱ) metal-metal interactions in the non-covalent tweezering structure.Hence,supramolecular engineering of multiple non-covalent interactions offers a feasible avenue toward functional materials with tailored properties.     

蛋白质与高分子的自组装

蛋白质是一类具有独特三维空间结构的生物高分子,其分子内部非共价键协同作用是形成三维空间结构的重要驱动力。同时,蛋白质分子与其他高分子之间也可以通过非共价键作用实现自组装。高分子链和蛋白质的结构特征是实现自组装的关键,溶液pH值、离子强度以及温度的变化会影响它们之间非共价键作用的类型和强度。本文归纳了水溶性高分子、嵌段共聚物和多糖与球状蛋白自组装的最新研究进展,分别从分子结构特征和溶液性质等因素讨论了其对高分子与蛋白质实现自组装的影响。其中,多糖与蛋白质的非共价键作用是化学与生物科学交叉领域最为活跃的研究课题之一,通过研究蛋白质与其他高分子的非共价键作用,对于理解和认识生命过程的本质与规律具有重要的意义,同时,在材料科学、纳米技术、食品科学等相关领域具有重要的应用价值。     

Noncovalent interactions of molecules with single walled carbon nanotubes

In this critical review we survey non-covalent interactions of carbon nanotubes with molecular species from a chemical perspective, particularly emphasising the relationship between the structure and dynamics of these structures and their functional properties. We demonstrate the synergistic character of the nanotube-molecule interactions, as molecules that affect nanotube properties are also altered by the presence of the nanotube. The diversity of mechanisms of molecule-nanotube interactions and the range of experimental techniques employed for their characterisation are illustrated by examples from recent reports. Some practical applications for carbon nanotubes involved in non-covalent interactions with molecules are discussed.     

Dendritic supermolecules--towards controllable nanomaterials

Dendritic molecules constitute one of the most exciting areas of modern nanochemistry, largely as a consequence of the unique properties associated with their branched architectures. This article describes how 'dendritic function' can also be achieved using small, synthetically accessible branched building blocks (individual dendrons) which simply self-assemble via non-covalent interactions to generate dendritic nanoscale architectures with novel behaviour. (a) Using non-covalent interactions at the focal point of a dendron allows the self-assembly of nanometre-sized supramolecular dendrimers around an appropriate template species. Such systems have potential applications in the controlled encapsulation and release of active ingredients. (b) Employing non-covalent intermolecular dendron-dendron interactions can give rise to the hierarchical assembly of nanostructured materials. Such assemblies of dendritic molecules ultimately express their molecular scale information on a macroscopic scale, and therefore have applications in materials science, for example as gels. (c) The multiple surface groups of dendrons are capable of forming multiple interactions with large surfaces, such as those found on biomolecules or in biological systems. Employing multivalent interactions between dendron surfaces and biological molecules opens up the potential application of dendritic systems as medicinal therapies. In summary, dendritic supermolecules offer a potentially cost-effective approach to the future application of dendritic systems to a range of real-world problems.     

Hydrogen Bonding versus Halogen Bonding: Spectroscopic Investigation of Gas-Phase Complexes Involving Bromide and Chloromethanes

Hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding are important non-covalent interactions that are known to occur in large molecular systems, such as in proteins and crystal structures. Although these interactions are important on a large scale, studying hydrogen and halogen bonding in small, gas-phase chemical species allows for the binding strengths to be determined and compared at a fundamental level. In this study, anion photoelectron spectra are presented for the gas-phase complexes involving bromide and the four chloromethanes, CH₃Cl, CH₂Cl₂, CHCl₃, and CCl₄. The stabilisation energy and electron binding energy associated with each complex are determined experimentally, and the spectra are rationalised by high-level CCSD(T) calculations to determine the non-covalent interactions binding the complexes. These calculations involve nucleophilic bromide and electrophilic bromine interactions with chloromethanes, where the binding motifs, dissociation energies and vertical detachment energies are compared in terms of hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding.     

Nanocomposites and macroscopic materials: assembly of chemically modified graphene sheets

Self-assembly of chemically modified graphenes (CMGs), including graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and their derivatives, has emerged as one of the most appealing strategies to develop unprecedented graphene-based functional materials. With the assistance of various non-covalent forces such as hydrogen bonding, ionic, amphiphilic and π-π interactions, CMGs decorated with multiple functional groups are favorable for assembly with different organic and inorganic components which can result in hierarchical composites possessing unique structures and functions. In this review, we will summarize the state-of-the-art self-assembly strategies that have been established to construct CMG based nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanofibers, nanorods, nanosheets, and macroscopic thin films, fibers and porous networks. The driving forces involved in the self-assembly process will be elucidated in the context. Further, we will also highlight several representative examples of applications regarding the self-assembled CMG based materials.     

High-tech applications of self-assembling supramolecular nanostructured gel-phase materials: from regenerative medicine to electronic devices

It is likely that nanofabrication will underpin many technologies in the 21st century. Synthetic chemistry is a powerful approach to generate molecular structures that are capable of assembling into functional nanoscale architectures. There has been intense interest in self-assembling low-molecular-weight gelators, which has led to a general understanding of gelation based on the self-assembly of molecular-scale building blocks in terms of non-covalent interactions and packing parameters. The gelator molecules generate hierarchical, supramolecular structures that are macroscopically expressed in gel formation. Molecular modification can therefore control nanoscale assembly, a process that ultimately endows specific material function. The combination of supramolecular chemistry, materials science, and biomedicine allows application-based materials to be developed. Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering using molecular gels as nanostructured scaffolds for the regrowth of nerve cells has been demonstrated in vivo, and the prospect of using self-assembled fibers as one-dimensional conductors in gel materials has captured much interest in the field of nanoelectronics.     

NMR investigation of non-covalent aggregation of coordination compounds ranging from dimers and ion pairs up to nano-aggregates

This review summarizes the results recently obtained by our research group investigating the non-covalent aggregation of coordination compounds in solution through NMR spectroscopy. First, systems that can undergo only weak non-covalent interactions, such as dispersive and dipole–dipole ones, are considered; successively, coordination compounds that are capable to establish more energetic non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and/or extended π–π stacking interactions, are taken into account. The parallelism between the energy of non-covalent interactions and the level of aggregation is highlighted. The results concerning the latter are mainly obtained through diffusion NMR experiments. In some cases, information about the structure of non-covalent aggregation in solution, obtained through intermolecular NOE studies, is discussed and contrasted with that observed in the solid state (by means of X-ray single crystal investigations, mainly carried out by our group) and/or derived from theoretical calculations.     

Cold-spray ionization mass spectrometry: principle and applications

A direct solution analysis method, cold-spray ionization (CSI) mass spectrometry (MS), a variant of electrospray (ESI) MS operating at low temperature (ca -80 to 10 degrees C), allows the facile and precise characterization of labile organic species, especially those in which non-covalent bonding interactions are prominent. We applied this method to investigations of the solution structures of many labile organic species, including unstable reagents and reaction intermediates, asymmetric catalysts, supramolecules and even primary biomolecules. Remarkable analytical results were obtained for highly ordered supramolecules using the CSI method. Whereas conventional ESI is not applicable to these compounds because of their instability to heat and/or air, CSI affords multiply charged molecular ions with many solvent molecules attached. Investigation of the constitution of Grignard reagents in solution is extremely challenging, but CSI-MS allowed us to identify one of the key structures in THF solution. Recently, this method was adopted for investigations of the solution structures of primary biomolecules such as nucleosides, amino acids, sugars and lipids, revealing singly charged Na(+) adducts of large clusters (chain structures), presumably linked by non-covalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding and/or hydrophobic interactions. The principle of the CSI method and applications of the method to a wide variety of labile organic species and primary biomolecules in solution are described.     

Manifold dynamic non-covalent interactions for steering molecular assembly and cyclization

Deciphering rich non-covalent interactions that govern many chemical and biological processes is crucial for the design of drugs and controlling molecular assemblies and their chemical transformations. However, real-space characterization of these weak interactions in complex molecular architectures at the single bond level has been a longstanding challenge. Here, we employed bond-resolved scanning probe microscopy combined with an exhaustive structural search algorithm and quantum chemistry calculations to elucidate multiple non-covalent interactions that control the cohesive molecular clustering of well-designed precursor molecules and their chemical reactions. The presence of two flexible bromo-triphenyl moieties in the precursor leads to the assembly of distinct non-planar dimer and trimer clusters by manifold non-covalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, C–H⋯π and lone pair⋯π interactions. The dynamic nature of weak interactions allows for transforming dimers into energetically more favourable trimers as molecular density increases. The formation of trimers also facilitates thermally-triggered intermolecular Ullmann coupling reactions, while the disassembly of dimers favours intramolecular cyclization, as evidenced by bond-resolved imaging of metalorganic intermediates and final products. The richness of manifold non-covalent interactions offers unprecedented opportunities for controlling the assembly of complex molecular architectures and steering on-surface synthesis of quantum nanostructures.

A real-space characterization of dynamic non-covalent interactions in molecular assemblies and chemical reactions at the atomic bond level.     

Template-assisted hydrogelation of a dynamic covalent polyviologen-based supramolecular architecture via donor-acceptor interactions

A novel polyviologen-based molecular architecture was developed via the step-growth polymerization of a hydroxyl-substituted aryl dihydrazide with a water soluble viologen-dialdehyde in water under acidic conditions. When polymerized in the presence of π-electron rich aromatic templates, the reaction mixture underwent hydrogelation. The templates were found to facilitate monomer-monomer as well as monomer-polymer preorganization during polymerization via donor-acceptor charge transfer interactions. Following polymerization, the templates effectively served as post-synthetic non-covalent cross linkers connecting the hydrogel network. The chemical structures of the polymers and molecular recognition between the reacting species were investigated in solution using ¹H NMR, while donor-acceptor charge transfer interactions were investigated using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. We also report the hydrochromic behavior of the templated and non-templated polymers. The surface morphology of the polymers was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, which revealed the formation of sheet-like structures. The new hydrogels developed in this work represents an interesting example of materials comprised of reversible dynamic covalent bonds and reversible non-covalent crosslinking interactions occurring between the electron-rich aryl templates and the electron-deficient bipyridinium units.     

Morphological and dimensional control via hierarchical assembly of doped oligoaniline single crystals

Single crystals of doped aniline oligomers are produced via a simple solution-based self-assembly method. Detailed mechanistic studies reveal that crystals of different morphologies and dimensions can be produced by a "bottom-up" hierarchical assembly where structures such as one-dimensional (1-D) nanofibers can be aggregated into higher order architectures. A large variety of crystalline nanostructures including 1-D nanofibers and nanowires, 2-D nanoribbons and nanosheets, 3-D nanoplates, stacked sheets, nanoflowers, porous networks, hollow spheres, and twisted coils can be obtained by controlling the nucleation of the crystals and the non-covalent interactions between the doped oligomers. These nanoscale crystals exhibit enhanced conductivity compared to their bulk counterparts as well as interesting structure-property relationships such as shape-dependent crystallinity. Furthermore, the morphology and dimension of these structures can be largely rationalized and predicted by monitoring molecule-solvent interactions via absorption studies. Using doped tetraaniline as a model system, the results and strategies presented here provide insight into the general scheme of shape and size control for organic materials.     

Assessment of density functionals and force field methods on anion–π interaction in heterocyclic calix complexes

The performance of ten density functionals and four force field methods in describing non-covalent interactions have been assessed by studying the interaction energies and structures of the four anion–π complexes involving tetraoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazine and various anions. Their structures are optimized at MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level, and interaction energies are obtained at DF-MP2-F12/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The result shows that the functional M06-2X predicts the most reliable interaction energy, followed by wB97XD and BHandH. B97D slightly overestimates the interaction energy. Other functionals and force field methods seriously overestimate the interaction energy. For the structures, three functionals M06-2X, wB97XD and BH and H predict the most reliable results, followed by B97D. The force field methods predict the largest deviations. The present work suggests that the functional M06-2X is a reliable method to describe energies and structural properties of the large molecules involving the anion–π interactions.     

Parameterization of a B3LYP specific correction for non-covalent interactions and basis set superposition error on a gigantic dataset of CCSD(T) quality non-covalent interaction energies

A vast number of non-covalent interaction energies at the counterpoise corrected CCSD(T) level have been collected from the literature to build a diverse new dataset. The whole dataset, which consists of 2027 CCSD(T) energies, includes most of the published data at this level. A large subset of the data was then used to train a novel, B3LYP specific, empirical correction scheme for non-covalent interactions and basis set superposition error (abbreviated as B3LYP-MM). Results obtained with our new correction scheme were directly compared to benchmark results obtained with B3LYP-D3(1) and M06-2X(2) (two popular density functions designed specifically to accurately model non-covalent interactions). For non-covalent complexes dominated by dispersion or dipole-dipole interactions all three tested methods give accurate results with the medium size aug-cc-pVDZ(3-6) basis set with MUE's of 0.27 (B3LYP-MM), 0.32 (B3LYP-D3) and 0.47 kcal/mol (M06-2X) (with explicit counterpoise corrections). These results validate both B3LYP-D3 and M06-2X for interactions of this type using a much larger data set than was presented in prior work. However, our new dispersion correction scheme shows some clear advantages for dispersion and dipole-dipole dominated complexes with the small LACVP* basis set, which is very popular in use due to its low associated computational cost: The MUE for B3LYP-MM with the LACVP* basis set for this subset of complexes (without explicit counterpoise corrections) is only 0.28 kcal/mol, compared to 0.65 kcal/mol for M06-2X or 1.16 kcal/mol for B3LYP-D3. Additionally, our new correction scheme also shows major improvements in accuracy for hydrogen-bonded systems and for systems involving ionic interactions, for example cation-π interactions. Compared to B3LYP-D3 and M06-2X, we also find that our new B3LYP-MM correction scheme gives results of higher or equal accuracy for a large dataset of conformer energies of di- and tripeptides, sugars, and cysteine.     

Characterization and Application of Supramolecular Junctions

The convergence of supramolecular chemistry and single-molecule electronics offers a new perspective on supramolecular electronics, and provides a new avenue toward understanding and application of intermolecular charge transport at the molecular level. In this review, we will provide an overview of the advances in the characterization technique for the investigation of intermolecular charge transport, and summarize the experimental investigation of several non-covalent interactions, including π-π stacking interactions, hydrogen bonding, host-guest interactions and σ-σ interactions at the single-molecule level. We will also provide a perspective on supramolecular electronics and discuss the potential applications and future challenges.     

金属-超分子聚合物的合成,结构与应用

金属-起分子聚合物(超分子配位聚合物)是重复单元经配价键相互作用连接在一起的阵列,可由有机高分子配体和金属离子自组装形成具有多样化的几何形状和拓扑结构：线性主链均聚物、嵌段共聚物、接枝共聚物、交联聚合物、金属树枝体、栅格阵列和拓扑结构,并可对无机和金属纳米粒子进行表面修饰。金属-超分子聚合物可在光电子信息、催化、生物医用、分子器件、纳米技术等领域广泛应用。综述了金属-超分子聚合物的合成与机理、结构、性能和应用。     

Macroscopic Supramolecular Assembly and Its Applications

Macroscopic supramolecular assembly (MSA) has been a recent progress in supramolecular chemistry.MSA mainly focuses on studies of the building blocks with a size beyond ten micrometers and the non-covalent interactions between these interactive building blocks to form ordered structures.MSA is essential to realize the concept of"self-assembly at all scales" by bridging most supramolecular researches at molecular level and at macroscopic scale.This review summaries the development of MSA,the basic design principle and related strategies to achieve MSA and potential applications.Correspondingly,we try to elucidate the correlations and differences between "macroscopic assembly" and MSA based on intermolecular interactions;the design principle and the underlying assembly mechanism of MSA are proposed to understand the reported MSA behaviors;to demonstrate further applications of MSA,we introduce some methods to improve the ordered degree of the assembled structures from the point of precise assembly and thus envision some possible fields for the use of MSA.     

Chromatographic characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers binding the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid

Two polymers binding the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) were prepared by utilising the technique of the non-covalent molecular imprinting polymerisation in an aqueous medium. The polymers obtained were packed in HPLC columns and the effects of the mobile phase composition on the retention of the imprinting molecule and the selectivity of the stationary phases towards several analogous structures were studied by liquid chromatography. The columns showed a good level of selectivity towards the template and strictly related molecules. It was found that the molecular recognition mechanism acting on the columns was dependent on a combination of ion pair and hydrophobic interactions.     

环糊精与大分子组装(准)聚轮烷

（准）聚轮烷是一种通过非价键相互作用组合得到的超分子结构,其中环糊精与大分子间的组装以其选择性、可调控性和生物相容性等优势引起广泛关注。本文综述了近年来环糊精与大分子组装（准）聚轮烷的研究进展,着重介绍了其在理论和应用方面的研究成果。