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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Author Spotlight: Functionalizing Metal-Organic Frameworks: Advancements, Challenges, and the Power of Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange
Published on: June 23, 2023
Stimuli-responsive metal-organic supercontainers as synthetic proton receptors
Cheng-Zhe Sun1, Li-Ji Cheng, Yupu Qiao
1State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. czn@fjirsm.ac.cn dfr@fjirsm.ac.cn.
Abstract:
We demonstrate a proof-of-concept design of a new platform for proton recognition and modulation. The new proton receptors are derived from a unique class of synthetic supercontainers that exhibit exceptional proton binding capacity (over 50 equiv.) and intriguing proton-dependent fluorescent switching behavior. Experimental and computational studies suggest that the proton-responsive event involves a two-step mechanism pertaining to proton binding by both amino and pyrenyl moieties of the supercontainer constructs. The high proton binding capacity of the supercontainers can be further modulated via small-molecule "regulators" that compete for the proton-binding sites, opening exiting new opportunities for proton manipulation in both chemistry and biology.
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