Dynamic equilibrium of a supramolecular dimeric rhomboid and trimeric hexagon and determination of its thermodynamic constants
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

A Millimeter Scale Flexural Testing System for Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Marine Sponge Spicules
Published on: October 11, 2017
Takuya Yamamoto1, Atta M Arif, Peter J Stang
1Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
Abstract:
A supramolecular dimeric rhomboid and its trimeric counterpart, a hexagon, are generated by design via the directional bonding methodology of self-assembly. The different-sized supramolecular macrocycles formed by Pt-coordination undergo a concentration- and temperature-dependent dynamic equilibrium. The two structures are characterized by multinuclear NMR and ESI-MS. Extensive study of the dynamic equilibrium of the two species in solution is performed to obtain its thermodynamic properties. By varying the ionic strength, mu, of the solutions, the true thermodynamic equilibrium constant, K, is determined at each experimental temperature (K(253) = 36 +/- 7, K(273) = 18 +/- 6, K(293) = 10 +/- 3, K(313) = 9 +/- 2, K(333) = 5 +/- 2, and K(353) = 3.0 +/- 0.2). By applying these values of true K at the respective temperatures to the van't Hoff equation extended with the entropy term, the standard enthalpy and entropy changes are determined for the equilibrium: with Delta H degrees = -18 +/- 1 kJ mol(-1) and Delta S degrees = -43 +/- 4 J mol(-1) K(-1), respectively, for the forward reaction (rhomboid to hexagon) of the equilibrium. The rhomboid is selectively crystallized, and its crystal structure is determined by X-ray diffraction. The structure reveals a significant amount of porosity as well as distortion of the rhomboid from planarity, leading to channels that can be observed from two viewing positions of the packing.
Related Concept Videos
Rigid Body Equilibrium Problems - II
Consider two children sitting on a seesaw, which has negligible mass. The first child has a mass (m1) of 26 kg and sits at point A, which is 1.6 meters (r1) from the pivot point B; the second child has a mass (m2) of 32 kg and sits at point C. How far from the pivot point B should the second child sit (r2) to balance the seesaw?
Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution: Problem Solving
This distribution function f(v) is defined by saying that the expected number N (v1,v2) of particles with speeds between v1 and v2 is given by
One-Degree-of-Freedom System
A one-degree-of-freedom system is defined by an independent variable that determines its state and behavior. One example of a one-degree-of-freedom system is a simple harmonic oscillator, such as a...
Kinetic Energy for a Rigid Body
Stability of structures
The Molecular Nature of Internal Energy

