Radiation & Photochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India.
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India.
Langmuir. 2022 May 24;38(20):6249-6264. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00556. Epub 2022 May 10.
Precise control over the stimuli-responsive noncovalent interactions operative in a complex molecular system has emerged as a convenient way to realize applications in the detection and sensing of trace analytes, metal ion separation, uptake-release, nanoparticle synthesis, and catalytic activity. This feature article focuses on the attributes and advantages of noncovalent host-guest interactions involving cucurbituril homologues (CBs) with a wide range of organic and inorganic guests, starting from organic dyes to drugs, proteins, surfactants, metal ions, and polyoxometalates. The unique structural features of CBs provide interaction sites for cations at the portals, polyanions at the periphery, and hydrophobic groups in its cavity. The facile complexation and consequent compositional and geometrical arrangements of guests such as naphthalenediimides, coumarins, porphyrins, and triphenylpyrylium ions with the host CBs led to remarkable changes in many molecular properties, especially aggregation, the proton binding and release affinity, and novel emissive dimers, and each of such spectroscopic signatures have been appropriately channeled to drug delivery and activation to improve the antibacterial efficacy and shelf life of drugs by increasing their photostability. Several technological advantages have also been extracted from the interaction of CBs with inorganic guests as well. The interaction of CB7 with the heptamolybdate anion resulted in the precipitation of a hybrid complex material which enabled a convenient separation methodology for the use of clinically pure radioactive Tc in diagnostic applications. Certain cucurbituril-based hybrid materials have been developed for enhanced SO adsorption at low pressures, high-efficiency hydrogen production, and reversible catalytic systems. Thus, this feature article provides a glimpse of the vast potential of cucurbituril homologues with organic and inorganic guests and calls for a dedicated effort to explore supramolecular strategies for better sensors, therapeutics, smart drug delivery modules, and facile devices.
精准控制复杂分子体系中刺激响应的非共价相互作用已成为实现痕量分析物检测和传感、金属离子分离、摄取-释放、纳米粒子合成和催化活性等应用的便捷途径。本文重点介绍了涉及葫芦脲同系物 (CBs) 与广泛的有机和无机客体的非共价主体-客体相互作用的特性和优势，客体从有机染料到药物、蛋白质、表面活性剂、金属离子和多金属氧酸盐。CBs 的独特结构特征为其端口处的阳离子、外围处的多阴离子和其腔中的疏水性基团提供了相互作用位点。萘二酰亚胺、香豆素、卟啉和三苯基吡𬭩离子等客体与主体 CBs 的易于络合以及随之而来的组成和几何排列导致许多分子性质发生了显著变化，特别是聚集、质子结合和释放亲和力以及新型发光二聚体，并且这些光谱特征中的每一个都被适当引导用于药物输送和激活，以提高药物的抗菌功效和保质期，同时提高其光稳定性。从 CBs 与无机客体的相互作用中也提取了一些技术优势。CB7 与七钼酸盐阴离子的相互作用导致了杂化配合物材料的沉淀，这为在诊断应用中使用临床纯放射性 Tc 提供了一种方便的分离方法。某些基于葫芦脲的杂化材料已被开发用于在低压下增强 SO 吸附、高效制氢和可逆催化体系。因此，本文提供了葫芦脲同系物与有机和无机客体相互作用的广阔潜力的一瞥，并呼吁专门努力探索超分子策略，以实现更好的传感器、治疗剂、智能药物输送模块和简便的设备。
