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Chirality-Driven Self-Assembly of Discrete, Homochiral FeII 2 L3 Cages
Bin Sun1, Eva J Meeus1, Felix J de Zwart1
1Homogeneous, Supramolecular and Bio-Inspired Catalysis group, van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|January 16, 2023
Summary
Chirality-driven self-assembly creates discrete, homochiral iron(II) cages (FeII2L3). Cage size depends on chiral components, with smaller cages showing stereoselective formation and narcissistic chiral self-sorting.
Area of Science:
- Coordination Chemistry
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Coordination chemistry enables the synthesis of functional supramolecular cages.
- Chirality plays a crucial role in controlling self-assembly processes.
- Tailoring cage properties requires precise control over molecular architecture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the synthesis of discrete, homochiral iron(II)2ligand3 (FeII2L3) cages.
- To investigate the influence of chirality on cage size and formation.
- To explore the role of non-covalent interactions in chiral self-sorting.
Main Methods:
- Chirality-driven self-assembly of iron(II) centers and chiral ligands.
- Stereochemical control of iron(II) centers.
- Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
- Synthesis using racemic and enantiomerically pure ligands.
Main Results:
- Formation of discrete, homochiral FeII2L3 cages of varying sizes.
- Larger cages require multiple chiral inputs (ligands and vertices).
- Smaller cages form stereoselectively with chiral ligands, or from matching chiral subcomponents.
- Narcissistic chiral self-sorting observed in smaller cages driven by non-covalent interactions.
- Racemic synthesis yields enantiomeric pairs of homochiral cages.
Conclusions:
- Chirality is a key determinant in the formation and size of FeII2L3 cages.
- Stereochemical control allows for predictable synthesis of homochiral supramolecular structures.
- Non-covalent interactions facilitate chiral self-sorting, leading to enantiopure or enantiomerically enriched products.
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