Supramolecular chemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The principles of intercellular communication in multicellular organisms can be explored using artificial cells. Here, the authors report on giant vesicles which can recognize diffused chemical signals and amplify the signal by synthetic enzymatic cascades to allow signal propagation over long distances.

    • Bastiaan C. Buddingh’
    • , Janneke Elzinga
    •  & Jan C. M. van Hest

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although polymers have been studied for well over a century, there are few examples of covalently linked polymer crystals synthesized directly from solution. Here, the authors demonstrate a strategy to synthesize single crystalline 1D metallo-covalent organic frameworks by combining dynamic covalent chemistry and metal-ligand coordination.

    • Hai-Sen Xu
    • , Yi Luo
    •  & Kian Ping Loh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cell surface proteins mediate the interactions between cells and their extracellular environment. Here the authors design synthetic biomemetic receptor-like sensors that facilitate programmable interactions between bacteria and their target.

    • Naama Lahav-Mankovski
    • , Pragati Kishore Prasad
    •  & David Margulies

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Incorporation of supramolecular macrocycles into porous organic polymers can increase uptake of guest molecules through host−guest interactions. Here the authors report a pillar[5]quinone derived multi-microporous organic polymer, which show a superior performance in radioactive iodomethane capture and storage.

    • Kecheng Jie
    • , Yujuan Zhou
    •  & Sheng Dai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Functional materials displaying tunable emission and long-lived luminescence are a powerful tool in information encryption, organic electronics and bioelectronics. Here the authors design a color-tunable ultralong organic room temperature phosphorescence polymer through radical multiple component cross-linked copolymerization.

    • Long Gu
    • , Hongwei Wu
    •  & Yanli Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Developing simple routes for construction of multi-compartmental cages is a compelling and challenging task. Here, the authors report modular construction of multi-3D-cavity cages featuring one, two or three units of a [Pd2L4] entity conjoined with a [Pd3L6] core.

    • Sagarika Samantray
    • , Shobhana Krishnaswamy
    •  & Dillip K. Chand

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Weak interactions between functional groups are often difficult to characterize in host–guest complexes. Here, the authors report the metal-free active template synthesis of a series of rotaxanes that permit a range of kinetically stabilized, weak crown ether-axle interactions to be characterized in solution and the solid state.

    • Chong Tian
    • , Stephen D. P. Fielden
    •  & David A. Leigh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Porous materials show potential in various technological fields but processing of these materials remains challenging which hampers their application. Here the authors demonstrate an organic/inorganic framework composed of a supramolecular gel as processable porous material.

    • Guohua Zhang
    • , Bingyu Li
    •  & Lixin Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Supramolecular catalytic assemblies attract enormous interest due to their activity that rivals natural enzymes. Using ab initio molecular dynamics, the authors show that a gold catalyst in a Ga4L612- nanocage, while impeded by reorganization energy, is accelerated by hosting a catalytic water molecule.

    • Valerie Vaissier Welborn
    • , Wan-Lu Li
    •  & Teresa Head-Gordon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecules can serve as biomimetic sensors, but dual self-controlling systems that involve self-activation and self-regulation are difficult to mimic. Here the authors report an insulated conjugated bimetallopolymer with cooperative multiple transition metals that phosphoresces in response to carbon monoxide.

    • Hiroshi Masai
    • , Takuya Yokoyama
    •  & Jun Terao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The hypoxic microenvironment in solid tumors limits the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) since oxygen is necessary to produce high cytotoxic singlet oxygen species. Here, the authors develop an improved self-assembled single-atom nanozyme which allows oxygen generation to enhance PDT efficacy.

    • Dongdong Wang
    • , Huihui Wu
    •  & Yanli Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Selection in compartmentalized self-replicating systems might provide a way for life to arise from abiotic environments. Here, the authors explore selection in a system of transient autocatalytic lipids and find that autocatalytic kinetics and phase separation are the key selection factors.

    • Ignacio Colomer
    • , Arseni Borissov
    •  & Stephen P. Fletcher

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regulating fluorescent properties of small molecules in a controlled manner has been a fundamental research goal but realizing multi-color emission from a single fluorophore remains challenging. Here the authros demonstrate that combined pyrene fluorophore and acylhydrazone units show multi-color switchable fluorescent at different assembled states.

    • Qian Wang
    • , Qi Zhang
    •  & He Tian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Host-guest solid state molecular motion is a critical but underexplored phenomenon which can be used to control molecular machines that function in the solid state. Here, the authors describe a solid state machine that shows solvent vapour- and mechanically-induced molecular motion that allows access to different crystalline and amorphous forms.

    • Yu-Dong Yang
    • , Xiaofan Ji
    •  & Han-Yuan Gong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Design of materials which allow for simultaneous detection and removal of water pollutants is challenging. Here the authors develop a guanidinocalix[5]arene that selectively binds perfluorinated alkyl substances and allows for fluorescence detection as well as removal of the pollutants in contaminated water.

    • Zhe Zheng
    • , Huijuan Yu
    •  & Dong-Sheng Guo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Constructing molecular cages from entangled molecules is a complex task requiring precise topological control. Here, the authors thread together six metal-peptide rings into a giant cubic molecular capsule with a defined cavity and 24 crossover points.

    • Tomohisa Sawada
    • , Yuuki Inomata
    •  & Makoto Fujita

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biomolecular cyptography that exploits specific interactions could be used for data encryption. Here the authors use the folding of M13 DNA to encrypt information for secure communication.

    • Yinan Zhang
    • , Fei Wang
    •  & Chunhai Fan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Multiple nanomotors for application in various fields have been fabricated, but so far only relatively simple designs for synthetic nanomotors are reported. Here, the authors report on a biodegradable polymeric nanomotor and demonstrate spatial control for catalyst positioning.

    • B. Jelle Toebes
    • , F. Cao
    •  & Daniela A. Wilson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Converting chemical energy into movement is essential to all forms of life, but the molecular processes are yet to be uncovered. Here the authors show a light-responsive reorientation behavior in liquid crystal droplets which stems from dynamic inversion of chirality from molecules to liquid crystals in confinement.

    • Federico Lancia
    • , Takaki Yamamoto
    •  & Nathalie Katsonis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chiral inversion of amino acids is thought to modulate the structure and function of amyloid beta (Aβ) but these processes are poorly understood. Here, the authors develop an ion mobility-mass spectrometry based approach to study chirality-regulated structural features of Aβ fragments and their influence on receptor recognition.

    • Gongyu Li
    • , Kellen DeLaney
    •  & Lingjun Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanosystems capable of organisation and the formation of structures are of interest in nanotechnology. Here, the authors report on synthetic asters made of gemini surfactant which are able to position microparticles based on size and chemical composition which can also be organised into higher order structures.

    • Qingqiao Xie
    • , Xixi Chen
    •  & Lingxiang Jiang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Copper-oxygen species in organometallic complexes and enzymes are involved in many oxidation reactions. Here, the authors synthesize a macrocycle-protected mixed valence Cu(I/II) cluster with an unusually strong oxidation capacity and apply it to hydrogen atom transfer reactions with inert hydrocarbons.

    • Siqi Zhang
    •  & Liang Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dynamic hydrogels with controllable properties are of interest for a range of applications. Here, the authors report on a DNA hydrogel system which can be tailored to have reversible mechanical changes, reversible shape changes, is self-healing and can be used for controlled release applications.

    • Liang Yue
    • , Shan Wang
    •  & Itamar Willner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reversibility of peptide hydrogen bonded supramolecular assemblies makes them tunable but highly dynamic and prone to disassembly at the low concentration. Here the authors show a secondary hydrophobic interaction, near the peptide core that stabilises the peptide bonds, without losing the solubility of the systems in aqueous conditions.

    • Julia Y. Rho
    • , Henry Cox
    •  & Sébastien Perrier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although bistability is common in biology, it is very difficult to design de novo into synthetic systems. Here, the authors present an experimental and theoretical analysis of a chemical network that displays bistable behavior under certain far-from-equilibrium conditions, and map the parameter space in which bistability operates.

    • Indrajit Maity
    • , Nathaniel Wagner
    •  & Gonen Ashkenasy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Studying the single-molecule behavior of host-guest complexes can provide fundamental insights into their supramolecular interactions. Here, the authors use the scanning tunneling microscopy break junction technique to show that encapsulation of a C60 molecule significantly enhances the conductance of an organoplatinum metallocycle; mechanical stretching of the junction releases the guest, returning the conductance to free-host level.

    • Jian-Hong Tang
    • , Yueqi Li
    •  & Peter J. Stang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single crystal X-ray diffraction is an invaluable tool for molecular structure determination, but growing single crystals is often an arduous process. Here the authors find that the structures of a wide array of molecules can be determined by SCXRD when included in hydrogen-bonded guanidinium organosulfonate host frameworks in a single-step crystallization.

    • Yuantao Li
    • , Sishuang Tang
    •  & Michael D. Ward

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fluorescent supramolecular coordination complexes are of interest for chemical sensing and optical devices. Here the authors synthesize nine organoplatinum metallacycles with high quantum yields, whose fluorescence wavelengths are tuned through manipulation of their photoinduced electron transfer and intramolecular charge transfer properties.

    • Jun-Long Zhu
    • , Lin Xu
    •  & Hai-Bo Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Development of light-responsive materials imposes a demand on visible-light photoswitching but this is often achieved at expense of photochromic performance. Here the authors use a building-block design to achieve a diarylethene all-visible-light photoswitch with improved photochromic efficiency and enhanced photo-fatigue resistance.

    • Zhiwei Zhang
    • , Wenhui Wang
    •  & He Tian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Moebius topology is intriguing because of its structural elegance and distinct properties. Here the authors report block copolymer Moebius strips via a fast self-assembly of chiral block copolymer polystyrene-block-poly(D-lactide acid) in tetrahydrofuran/water mixed solvents.

    • Zhen Geng
    • , Bijin Xiong
    •  & Zhenzhong Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    If asymmetric catalysts were available by mirror symmetry breaking, an important insight may be given to how the biomolecular homochirality emerged in nature. Here, the authors report the first example of asymmetric catalysis by employing mirror symmetry-broken helical nanoribbons as the ligand.

    • Zhaocun Shen
    • , Yutao Sang
    •  & Minghua Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Open chemical systems operate out of equilibrium, providing more opportunities than closed systems, but a theoretical framework to describe their performance is lacking. Here, the authors assess the efficiency of two classes of dissipative processes with a method applicable to any open chemical reaction network.

    • Emanuele Penocchio
    • , Riccardo Rao
    •  & Massimiliano Esposito

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Organic heterostructures attract attention in material chemistry but the precise bottom-up synthesis is still challenging. Herein the authors present a hierarchical self-assembly approach to synthesize one-dimensional organic heterostructures by regulating the noncovalent interactions.

    • Ming-Peng Zhuo
    • , Jun-Jie Wu
    •  & Liang-Sheng Liao

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    The mechanism by which macromolecular catalysts use energy from exergonic reactions to move, adapt, and assemble has been unclear. In this Perspective article, R. Dean Astumian shows that in addition to disequilibrium of the catalyzed reaction, kinetic asymmetry is the essential feature required to drive non-equilibrium response by an information ratchet mechanism.

    • R. Dean Astumian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this paper, the authors introduce a structurally elegant 2D triquinoline molecule as a discrete model for graphitic materials with atom-sized voids. The compound has unusual chemical properties, including high proton affinity and rich supramolecular behavior, forming complexes via both π-π and CH-π contact modes.

    • Shinya Adachi
    • , Masakatsu Shibasaki
    •  & Naoya Kumagai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanically interlocked molecules and molecular cages are two important themes in supramolecular chemistry. Here, the authors combine these concepts to construct a giant [13]rotaxane built around a palladium capsule, one of the most complex metallosupramolecular assemblies yet.

    • Jesus Ferrando-Soria
    • , Antonio Fernandez
    •  & Richard E. P. Winpenny

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Building an artificial double helix is a compelling challenge, and most strategies rely on the intertwining of two helical strands. Here, in a very different approach, the authors construct a supramolecular double helix from multiple synthetic small molecules chained together by double crossed halogen bonds.

    • Xiaosheng Yan
    • , Kunshan Zou
    •  & Yunbao Jiang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polyamines are essential for cell growth and are frequently increased in concentration in cancer cells. Here, the authors use a macrocycle to generate a supramolecular trap, which depletes the polyamines in cells, induces apoptosis and reduces cancer cell growth in mice.

    • Junyi Chen
    • , Hanzhi Ni
    •  & Chunju Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The icosahedron, as the polyhedron closest in symmetry to the sphere, is one of the most compelling Platonic solids for chemists to construct. Here, the authors assemble a supramolecular icosahedron from twelve pentatopic corannulene-based tectons, a strategy that was proposed over a decade ago but only now synthetically realized.

    • Yu-Sheng Chen
    • , Ephrath Solel
    •  & Yi-Tsu Chan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular bilayer graphene — a discrete assembly of two stacked graphene fragments — is challenging to produce in pure form. Here, the authors are able to synthesize and characterize stable molecular bilayer graphenes by the π−π stacking of two identical, well-defined nanographene sheets.

    • Xin-Jing Zhao
    • , Hao Hou
    •  & Yuan-Zhi Tan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The packing of spheres, disks and other simple shapes into arrays on surfaces is relevant to many problems across the physical sciences. Here the authors study the influence of flexibility and reduced symmetry on the packing of porphyrin nanorings which are deposited from solution onto a graphite surface.

    • Alex Summerfield
    • , Matteo Baldoni
    •  & Peter H. Beton

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