Supramolecular chemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assembly of multi-component systems can be used to construct discrete, well-defined, nanoscopic-sized cages. Pasqualeet al. report the self-assembly of conical-shaped carboxylic acid derivatives of calix[4]arene and calix[5]arene, and the uranyl cation UO22+into octahedral and icosahedral anionic metallocages.

    • Sara Pasquale
    • , Sara Sattin
    •  & Javier de Mendoza
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Stimulus-responsive hydrogels have previously been developed that display heat-, light-, pH- or redox-induced sol–gel transitions. Nakahataet al. develop a self-healing supramolecular hydrogel based on host–guest polymers in which redox potential can induce a reversible sol–gel phase transition.

    • Masaki Nakahata
    • , Yoshinori Takashima
    •  & Akira Harada
  • Article |

    Hydrogels have a variety of applications including tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Here, liquid-crystal hydrogels are developed which transform into a fluid solution upon cooling; cells can be encapsulated in the gel at room temperature, then released at physiological temperatures.

    • Zhegang Huang
    • , Hyojin Lee
    •  & Myongsoo Lee
  • Article |

    There has been recent progress in the synthesis of complex intertwined supramolecular topologies. In this study, Liet al.report the self-assembly of an intertwined structure based on a universal 3-ravel.

    • Feng Li
    • , Jack K. Clegg
    •  & George V. Meehan
  • Article |

    The construction of porous solids from discrete organic molecules usually involves the formation of regular porous crystals. In this study, a covalent scrambling reaction gives molecules with a range of shapes that do not pack effectively — manipulation of the reagent ratio allows fine control of porosity.

    • Shan Jiang
    • , James T. A. Jones
    •  & Andrew I. Cooper
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cryptophane-A is a prototypical organic host molecule that binds reversibly to neutral guest molecules. Taratulaet al.report X-ray structures of cryptophane-A complexed with a range of host molecules to show that the cryptophane host–guest system exhibits ‘induced fit’.

    • Olena Taratula
    • , P. Aru Hill
    •  & Ivan J. Dmochowski
  • Article |

    The spontaneous ordering of molecules into two-dimensional arrays is usually a result of directional intermolecular interactions. Here, it is shown that electrospray-deposited Mn12(acetate)16forms filamentary aggregates driven by anisotropic interactions, which are a consequence of the complex shape of the molecule.

    • Alex Saywell
    • , Graziano Magnano
    •  & Peter H. Beton