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Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
Published on: October 15, 2019
Singlet oxygen stimulus for switchable functional organic cages.
Cédric Mongin1, Alejandro Mendez Ardoy1, Raphaël Méreau1
1Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ISM UMR 5255 351 cours de la Libération 33400 Talence France dario.bassani@u-bordeaux.fr brigitte.bibal@u-bordeaux.fr.
New molecular cages with a 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) chromophore show reversible endoperoxide formation. This transformation significantly alters metal ion binding, enhancing selectivity for sodium (Na+) and cesium (Cs+) ions.
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Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Organic Synthesis
- Materials Science
Background:
- Molecular cages are crucial for host-guest chemistry and molecular recognition.
- The 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) moiety is a known photosensitizer and reactive group.
- Controlling cavity size and guest binding in molecular cages remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize novel molecular cages incorporating a DPA chromophore.
- To investigate the reversible endoperoxide formation and its impact on cage structure.
- To evaluate the modulation of metal ion binding properties upon endoperoxide formation.
Main Methods:
- Templated ring-closure metathesis for cage synthesis.
- Photogeneration of singlet oxygen for reversible Diels-Alder reaction.
- Spectroscopic and binding studies to characterize cage properties.
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for structural analysis.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of molecular cages 1a and 2a with tunable cavity sizes.
- Reversible conversion between DPA cages (1a, 2a) and endoperoxide cages (1b, 2b) via singlet oxygen.
- Endoperoxide formation introduces new coordination sites and alters internal cage geometry.
- Significant modulation of Na+ and Cs+ binding constants (4-450 fold) upon endoperoxide formation.
Conclusions:
- Reversible covalent modification of molecular cages can precisely tune metal ion binding.
- The endoperoxide cages exhibit enhanced affinity and altered coordination preferences for alkali metal cations.
- This work presents a novel strategy for designing responsive molecular receptors.

