Tetraphenylethylene-embedded pillar[5]arene-based orthogonal self-assembly for efficient photocatalysis in water.

Herein, we have designed and fabricated a simple and efficient supramolecular self-assembled nanosystem based on host-guest interactions between water-soluble tetraphenylethylene-embedded pillar[5]arene ( ) and ammonium benzoyl-ʟ-alaninate () in an aqueous medium. The obtained assembly of and showed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) via the blocking of intramolecular phenyl-ring rotations and functioned as an ideal donor. After the loading of eosin Y () as acceptor on the surface of the assembly of and , the worm-like nanostructures changed into nanorods, which facilitates a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the and assembled donor to the acceptor present in the nanorod assembly. The system comprising , and displayed moderate FRET efficiency (31%) at a 2:1 molar ratio of donor-to-acceptor. Moreover, the obtained supramolecular nanorod assembly could act as a nanoreactor mimicking natural photosynthesis and exhibited a high catalytic efficiency for the photocatalytic dehalogenation reaction of various bromoketone derivatives with good yields in short reaction time in water.