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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Rapid Encapsulation of Reconstituted Cytoskeleton Inside Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: November 10, 2021
Guest encapsulation and self-assembly of a cavitand-based coordination capsule
Takeharu Haino1, Mutsumi Kobayashi, Yoshimasa Fukazawa
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan. haino@sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
A novel coordination capsule selectively binds molecules up to 14 angstroms long. This supramolecular chemistry discovery highlights the capsule
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Coordination Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Cavitands are macrocyclic hosts with unique structural properties.
- Coordination capsules offer tunable cavities for molecular recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel cavitand-based coordination capsule.
- To investigate the encapsulation capabilities and selectivity of the capsule for various guests.
- To elucidate the driving forces behind guest encapsulation.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization (e.g., 1H NMR) of the coordination capsule.
- Encapsulation studies with aromatic and aliphatic guests in solution.
- Computational analysis of capsule geometry.
- Thermodynamic studies to determine binding interactions.
Main Results:
- A nanometer-scale cavitand-based coordination capsule (14 BF4) was successfully synthesized.
- The capsule demonstrated selective encapsulation of guests up to approximately 14 Å in length.
- CH-pi interactions and desolvation of the inner cavity were identified as key binding factors.
- The capsule preferentially bound hydrogen-bonded heterodimers of carboxylic acids and showed diastereoselection with chiral guests.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized coordination capsule possesses a rigid, well-defined cavity suitable for selective molecular recognition.
- The study provides insights into the factors governing guest binding within supramolecular hosts.
- This work contributes to the development of advanced host-guest systems for molecular encapsulation and separation.
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