pH-Responsive supramolecular DOX-dimer based on cucurbit[8]uril for selective drug release

A supramolecular dimer of doxorubicin (DOX) was constructed via ternary host-guest interactions between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and tryptophan modified DOX (DOX-Trp, connected with an acid-labile bond) and we demonstrate for the first time that a supramolecular dimer of DOX can be formed upon homo-dimerization by CB[8], which may act as a stimuli pH-responsive, supramolecular DOX dimer prodrug system. This supramolecular DOX dimer transported DOX efficiently and selectively to cancer cells, thereby exhibiting significantly minimized cytotoxicity against noncancerous cells while maintaining effective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Under this strategy, many other anticancer drugs could be chemically modified and loaded as a dimeric “ammunition” into CB[8] as supramolecular dimer prodrug systems (or a “jet fighter”) for improved cancer therapy.     

pH-Switched fluorescent pseudorotaxane assembly of cucurbit[7]uril with bispyridinium ethylene derivatives

¹H NMR spectra and fluorescence analysis revealed that the molecular shuttle and pseudorotaxane assembly of Q[7] with guest G²⁺ can be significantly switched via protonation and deprotonation of the terminal carboxylates of the guest.     

Characterization of host-guest complexes of cucurbit[n]uril (n = 6, 7) by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

When an intramolecular cavity exists in a molecule, it can trap another chemical species to form a host-guest complex. We examine the formation of such an inclusion complex with cucurbit[n]uril (CBn, n = 6, 7) as the host to trap alkali metal or ammonium ions as the guest, by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The results show that the inclusion complexes are formed between the three-dimensional cylinder of CBn hosts and the guest cations. Selectivity of the complex formation is dependent both on (1) ion-dipole interactions between the cylindrical portal of the CBn hosts and the guest cations and (2) the hydrophobic interactions at the inner cavity of CBn.     

Fluorescence enhancement and cytotoxicity reduction of bis-viologen biphenyl by complexation of cucurbit[7]uril

The effect of cucurbit[7]uril(CB[7]) on fluorescence properties and biocompatibility of the bis-viologen biphenyl molecule(BPV2~(2+)) was investigated by using ~1 H NMR spectroscopy,fluorescence emission titration,and in vitro cytotoxicity experiments.CB[7] can be combined with BPV2~(2+) in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 and 2:1.After the formation of host-guest complex,the fluorescence emission intensity of BPV2~(2+) increased significantly,and the emission spectrum blue shifted.Meanwhile,the host-guest complexes showed better biocompatibility than BPV2~(2+) in cell cytotoxicity studies.Results of this paper lay a foundation for the development of host-guest type of fluo rescent probes,biological imaging and so forth.     

Cucurbit[6]uril-based supramolecular frameworks assembled via the outer surface interaction of cucurbit[n]urils

Curcurbit[n]uril(Q[n])-based supramolecular frameworks(QSFs) constructed from the outer surface interaction of Q[n]s(OSIQ) have the characteristic of simplicity,diversity and modulability.Their simplicity is reflected in their simple composition and preparation methods used for QSFs.The diversity of supramolecular organic frameworks(SOFs) is reflected in the synthesis methods and structural characteristics of the as-obtained QSFs,as well as the variety of structural directing agents and basic building blocks used to prepare QSFs.The modulability is reflected by the controllable channel size in the QSFs,which can be adjusted using different sizes of Q[n]s.In this work,the first re ported cucurbituril Q[6]was selected as the basic building block and three Q[6]-based su p ramolecular frameworks were obtained from aqueous HCl solutions in the presence of [CdCl₄]^2-respectively.The OSIQs are the main driving forces for the formation of these frameworks.This study shows the diversity of the QSFs.     

A cucurbit[8]uril recognized rigid supramolecular polymer with photo-stimulated responsiveness

A rigid supramolecular polymer was constructed in aqueous solution via cucurbit[8]uril(CB[8]) host recognition with a rigid monomer containing an azobenzene unit and two 4,4'-bipyridin-1-ium(BP)moieties in the two ends, which also exhibited photo-responsiveness owing to the photoinduced trans–cis isomerization of azobenzene group.     

Cucurbit[n]uril-calix[n]arene-based supramolecular frameworks assembled using the outer surface interactions of cucurbit[n]urils

Based on the crystal structures of two cucurbit[6]uril/calix[n]arene-based supramolecular frameworks reported by Long and co-workers,we further investigated the interactions of cucurbit[6]uril with 4-sulfocalix[4]arene and 4-sulfocalix[6]arene using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry(ITC),respectively.Moreover,solid fluorescent materials were prepared via the adsorption of fluorescent dyes by these porous supramolecular frameworks,which exhibit a selective response to certain volatile organic compounds.     

Supramolecular assembly of cucurbit[6]uril and N-butyl-4-pyrrolidinopyridine

The nature of the supramolecular host–guest complex involving 4-pyrrolidinopyridine (BuPC4) and cucurbit[6]uril (Q[6]) has been investigated by NMR and UV spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and isothermal titration calorimetry. The results revealed that the alkyl chain of the guest BuPC4 is located inside the cavity of the Q[6] host, whereas the other section of the BuPC4 guest remains outside of the portal.     

Complexation behavior of cucurbit[6]uril with short polypeptides

The binding properties of cucurbit[6]uril towards various peptides have been investigated in acidic aqueous solution. Stability constants and thermodynamic values of the complex formation between following peptides: glycyl-l-alanine, l-leucyl-l-valine, glycyl-l-asparagine, l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine, l-leucyl-l-tryptophan, glycyl-l-histidine, l-glutathione reduced (γ-l-glutamyl-l-cysteinyl-glycine, GSH), and dl-leucyl-glycyl-dl-phenylalanine) with cucurbit[6]uril in aqueous formic acid (50%, v/v) have been calculated from calorimetric titrations. From these results it can be seen that the peptides form exclusion complexes with cucurbit[6]uril. Due to the polar peptide bond they are not included within the hydrophobic cavity of cucurbit[6]uril. The complex formation is favoured by entropic contributions. The release of water molecules from the polar amino groups of the peptides and the carbonyl groups of cucurbituril are responsible.     

七元瓜环与N,N’-二甲基-苯甲基-1,10-二氨基癸烷的超分子自组装

设计合成了具有多个作用位点的长链分子N,N’-二甲基-苯甲基-1,10二氨基癸烷(C10DA)并将其作为客体,利用1H NMR、紫外吸收光谱及荧光光谱等手段考察了C10DA与七元瓜环(主体)的相互作用,以及形成的主客体包结配合物的结构特征.结果表明,随着主客体摩尔比的变化,其作用模式从类轮烷型包结配合物转变成哑铃型包结配合物,这一特性在分子器件的制备方面具有潜在的应用前景.     

六元瓜环／1，2-乙二胺的超分子化合物结构及相互作用模式

合成了六元瓜环与链状烷基二胺（1,2-乙二胺）形成的超分子化合物．采用X射线衍射技术测定了其晶体结构,并得到元素分析、热重、红外光谱的佐证,揭示了主客体相互作用的模式．还采用^1HNMR技术研究了溶液中六元瓜环与乙二胺的超分子相互作用．研究表明,在不同的环境下瓜环与客体采取相异的超分子作用模式,晶体结构中显示一个六元瓜环的两个端口通过离子偶极作用以不同的作用模式分别跟两个乙二胺客体分子形成一个三单元组成的超分子作用实体;而在溶液中瓜环与乙二胺的相互作用模式与晶体中的不同．     

Aptamer-based homogeneous protein detection using cucurbit[7]uril functionalized electrode

A new strategy for homogeneous protein detection is developed based on a cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) functionalized electrode. The analytical procedure consists of the binding of target protein to its aptamer in the test solution, followed by an exonuclease-catalyzed digestion of methylene blue (MB) tag labeled DNA oligonucleotides. Since CB[7] molecules immobilized on the electrode may efficiently capture the released MB-labeled nucleotides, the MB tags are concentrated to the electrode surface and subsequently yield highly sensitive electrochemical signal, which is related to the concentration of the target protein. The method combines the host–guest properties of CB[7] with the immobilization-free homogeneous assay, providing a powerful tool for protein detection. Taking the detection of osteopontin as an example, the proposed method can have a linear response to the target protein in a range from 50 to 500 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 10.7 ng mL⁻¹. It can also show high specificity and good reproducibility, and can be used directly for the assay of osteopontin in serum samples.     

New lanthanide-based complexes constructed from cucurbit[6]uril: Synthesis,structures and properties

Three lanthanide-based complexes, {Gd₂(H₂O)₁₀(CB[6])₂}·CB[6]·6Cl·12H₂O (1), {[Gd₂(H₂O)₈CB[6]₂]·(CuCl₄)·4Cl·46H₂O}_n (2), and {Dy₂(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₁₀(CB[6])}·4NO₃·14H₂O (3) (CB[6] = cucurbit[6]uril), were prepared with cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]). These complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and magnetization measurements. Crystallographic results showed that 1 and 3 are dinuclear and crystallize in the triclinic space group Pī, whereas 2 is a 1-D zigzag supramolecular chain that crystallizes in the monoclinic system in C2/c. The results indicated that temperature has a big effect on the supramolecular assemblies and a different structure inducer also leads to the formation of different coordination polymers. Frequency dependence in the ac susceptibility signals was observed in 3.     

Determination of L-phenylalanine by cucurbit[7]uril sensitized fluorescence quenching method

The determination method of L-phenylalanine（LPA） by fluorescence quenching was developed.The assay was based on the combination of the cucurbit[7]uril（CB[7]） with palmatine hydrochloride（PAL） reaction.In the presence of CB[7],the fluorescence of PAL was quenched by LPA which can be employed to detect LPA.Under the optimal conditions,a linear range 3.63×10^-8- 9.68×10^-6mol/L and a detection limit 1.27×10^-8mol/L of LPA were obtained.The relative standard deviation（R.S.D） was 1.8%obtained from a series of 11 standards each containing 6.05×10^-6 mol/L of LPA.This paper also discusses the mechanism of fluorescence indicator probe.     

葫[n]环联脲(n=5,6,7,8)与两种重氮氟硼酸盐的包合作用研究

用核磁共振氢谱和紫外-可见光谱滴定法考察了葫[n]环联脲(Cucurbit[n]uril,n=5,6,7,8)与对甲苯重氮氟硼酸盐和4,4′-联苯二重氮氟硼酸盐的配位情况,并用曲线拟合求得形成的包结配合物的稳定常数.结果表明,不同空腔的葫[n]环联脲对不同尺寸的重氮氟硼酸盐具有很显著的选择性包结作用.在相同条件下,与葫[6]环联脲相比,葫[7]环联脲更易于容纳苯环.同时,随着酸性的增强,葫[n]环联脲上的脲羰基质子化程度加大,使得其配位能力有所减弱.     

瓜环类超分子药物载体的研究进展

瓜环具有“内疏水、外亲水”的特殊分子结构,可以多种有机物发生主客体相互作用而形成自组装分子胶囊或超分子实体,使其在环境、医药、化学分离、材料的改性等方面都有着广泛的应用前景。本文结合自己的工作,参考国内外文献综述了瓜环在药物载体及药物传输方面的研究进展,并就瓜环在药物领域的发展作一展望。     

Reviving chloroquine for anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatment with cucurbit[7]uril-based supramolecular formulation

The wide-spreading SARS-CoV-2 virus has put the world into boiling water for more than a year, however pharmacological therapies to act effectively against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain elusive. Chloroquine (CQ), an antimalarial drug, was found to exhibit promising antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo at a high dosage, thus CQ was approved by the FDA for the emergency use authorization (EUA) in the fight against COVID-19 in the US, but later was revoked the EUA status due to the severe clinical toxicity. Herein, we show that supramolecular formulation of CQ by a macrocyclic host, curcurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), reduced its non-specific toxicity and improved its antiviral activity against coronavirus, working in synergy with CB[7]. CB[7] was found to form 1:1 host-guest complexes with CQ, with a binding constant of ∼10⁴ L/mol. The CQ-CB[7] formulation decreased the cytotoxicity of CQ against Vero E6 and L-02 cell lines. In particular, the cytotoxicity of CQ (60 μmol/L) against both Vero E6 cell line and L-02 cell lines was completely inhibited in the presence of 300 μmol/L and 600 μmol/L CB[7], respectively. Furthermore, the CB[7] alone showed astonishing antiviral activity in SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells and mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) infected N2A cells, and synergistically improved the antiviral activity of CQ-CB[7], suggesting that CB[7]-based CQ formulation has a great potential as a safe and effective antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus.     

Switchable peptide-equipped protein/cucurbit[7]uril supramolecular assembly for targeted drug delivery

ABSTRACT

Herein, we develop a switchable peptide-equipped protein/cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) supramolecular assembly as novel targeted drug vector. Specifically, bovine serum albumin (BSA) is used to interact with CB[7], serving as the core of drug vector. Then, a peptide shield layer is formed on the surface of BSA/CB[7], yielding peptide-equipped supramolecular assembly (Pep@BSA@CB[7]). The equipped peptide shield layer is composed of switchable peptide probes consisting of a polycationic cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) motif, a polyanionic motif and a linking motif, and therefore provides a variety of desirable properties. First, the CPP motif displays excellent cell penetration ability and can facilitate internalisation of the drug vector. Secondly, the polyanionic motif performs intramolecular electrostatic interaction with CPP motif and thereby can reduce non-targeted delivery towards normal cells. Thirdly, the linking motif can be specifically cleaved by matrix metalloproteinases 2 that is up-regulated in tumour microenvironment, thus enabling precise cancer-targeting. As a consequent, Pep@BSA@CB[7] can serve as a promising drug vector that exhibits superior targeting ability and high uptake efficiency towards cancer cells, which may be of great potential in cancer-targeted treatment.     

Cucurbit[7]uril as a Supramolecular Artificial Enzyme for Diels–Alder Reactions

The ability to mimic the activity of natural enzymes using supramolecular constructs (artificial enzymes) is a vibrant scientific research field. Herein, we demonstrate that cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) can catalyse Diels–Alder reactions for a number of substituted and unreactive N ‐allyl‐2‐furfurylamines under biomimetic conditions, without the need for protecting groups, yielding powerful synthons in previously unreported mild conditions. CB[7] rearranges the substrate in a highly reactive conformation and shields it from the aqueous environment, thereby mimicking the mode of action of a natural Diels–Alderase. These findings can be directly applied to the phenomenon of product inhibition observed in natural Diels–Alderase enzymes, and pave the way toward the development of novel, supramolecular‐based green catalysts.