Fullerene-Functionalized Halogen-Bonding Heteroditopic Hosts for Ion-Pair Recognition

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Fullerenes possess unique hydrophobic surfaces and rigid structures ideal for molecular recognition.
• However, their potential as supramolecular hosts for anion binding remains largely unexplored.
• Rational design is key to unlocking fullerene-based host-guest chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel fullerene-functionalized receptors for anion recognition.
• To investigate the unique binding properties of these receptors, particularly their selectivity for halides.
• To explore the influence of the fullerene scaffold on anion binding interactions.

Main Methods:

• Rational design and synthesis of fullerene-functionalized halogen-bonding (XB) heteroditopic ion-pair receptors.
• Utilizing a C60 core to spatially separate cation and anion binding domains.
• Employing DFT calculations to understand binding mechanisms and selectivity.

Main Results:

• Successfully designed and synthesized novel fullerene-based heteroditopic receptors.
• Demonstrated a rare artificial receptor with two anion binding sites exhibiting opposing halide preferences.
• Observed enhanced halide binding selectivity, particularly for iodide, upon potassium cation complexation.
• DFT calculations confirmed the role of the C60 scaffold in preorganizing binding domains and facilitating anion-π interactions.

Conclusions:

• Fullerene surfaces can be effectively utilized as platforms for supramolecular host design.
• Fullerene incorporation significantly modulates anion binding selectivity in heteroditopic receptors.
• These fullerene-based receptors show promise for selective anion sensing and applications in solar cell technology.