Cavity-Partitioned Self-Assembled Cage for Sequential Separation in Aqueous Solutions

The concept of pore space partition has emerged as an effective strategy for developing improved coordination-based supramolecular porous materials with exceptional performance. Herein, we report that a water-soluble self-assembled tetrahedral cage 1 with a partitioned cavity shown excellent performance as a multifunctional extractant. The results show that this unique partitioned cavity can efficiently separate halogenated adamantanes, adamantane isomers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the influence of cavity-partitioned cage 1 on the electrochemical properties of redox-active molecules and electrochemically driven reversible host-guest process has also been demonstrated. The findings offer valuable insights into the design and development of new type of materials with controlled phase separation and tailored electrochemical properties.