Cucurbituril host-guest chemistry

This entry to supramolecular chemistry allows one, at the same time, to develop a host-guest chemistry because the space inside the cucurbituril barrel is sufficient to confine small "guesf molecules. This is illustrated with the crystallization of the supramolecular adduct [W3S4(H20)8Cl](pyH ccuc) Cl4a 5.5 H2O with a pyridinium cation inside the cucurbituril cavity [48]. The introduction of guest molecules may vary the net charge on the assembly and consequently the whole packing in the solid state. 

Cucurbit [6] uril and increasingly its higher homologues have been used extensively in a variety of host-guest chemistry and nanostructure assemblies. Of particular appeal are rotaxanes and molecular necklaces, mechanically interlocked assemblies of molecules based on CB [6]. Efficient synthesis of ID, 2D and 3D polyrotaxanes and molecular necklaces (cucurbituril beads linked by a macrocyclic molecule string ) has been achieved by a combination of self-assembly and coordination chemistry. We discuss rotaxanes and molecular necklaces in Section 10.7, and cucurbil-based systems are summarised in a recent review.23... 

Das D, Scherman OA Isr. Cucurbituril at the interface of small molecule host-guest chemistry and dynamic aggregates. J Chem 2011 51 537-50. 

Yang H, Liu Y, liu K, Yang L, Wang Z, Xhang X. Rational adjustment of multicolor emissions by cucurbiturils-based host-guest chemistry and photochemistry. Langmuir 2013 29 12909-14. 

Fig. 9. Cucurbituril inclusion chemistry (a) tridimensional stmcture of cucurbit[6]uril (b) conjectured cross-sectional representation of a host—guest...

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