Chiral covalent organic cages: Construction and chiral functions.

Covalent organic cages (COCs) are three-dimensional organic molecules with permanent cavities, known for their ordered pore structures, excellent processability, and modular design. They have shown significant potential in applications such as gas adsorption, molecular separation, and catalysis. Introducing chiral elements into COCs results in chiral COCs with confined chiral cavities, which endows them with unique chiral functions and expands their application prospects. This review summarizes the research progress on chiral covalent organic cages, focusing on strategies for incorporating chiral elements, the structures and synthesis methods of representative chiral COCs, and advancements in their chiral functions. Additionally, we provide perspectives on future research directions. We hope this review will inspire further interest and creativity among researchers in the field of chiral molecular cages, leading to the development of materials with unique structures and functions.