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Solid-state-chemistry

Framework for a molecular prison

Nature volume 442, pages 878–879 (2006)Cite this article

A remarkable family of solids exists in which host compounds hold guest molecules captive in their rooms. The latest example has an unprecedented topology and opens up fresh avenues for investigation.

Small molecules can be trapped, like hostages in a prison cell, by networks of cages formed from another compound. The resulting solids — known as clathrates, or inclusion compounds — have been known about for more than 150 years, but have recently gained media attention for their potential to trap the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Many types of clathrate have been identified, and it seemed that little remained to be discovered. But in Angewandte Chemie International Edition1, Karau and Schnick describe the synthesis of a clathrate with a unique cage structure.

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Figure 1: Cage construction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bordeaux Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry (ICMCB-CNRS), F-33608, Pessac, France

    Michel Pouchard

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  1. Michel Pouchard
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Pouchard, M. Framework for a molecular prison. Nature 442, 878–879 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/442878a

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