Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025

A Protocol for Safe Lithiation Reactions Using Organolithium Reagents
Published on: November 12, 2016
In Situ Cation-Switched Organometallic Cage Reconfiguration Enables Highly Selective Li+ Recognition and Extraction
Rui-Ge Wang1, Li-Ying Sun1, Le Zhang1
1College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P.R. China.
None:
Biomacromolecular selectivity paradigms, epitomized by the "induced-fit" concept, motivate adaptive supramolecular designs; however, cationic guest-directed morphological responses in metal-coordinated hosts remain inadequately developed. We reveal a dynamic AgI-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) cage that experiences alkali ion-induced structural metamorphosis triggered by Lewis acid‒base interactions. X-ray crystallographic analysis and independent gradient model (IGM) evidence confirm that these interaction templates have highly ordered architectures exceeding 340 non-H atoms. Competitive affinity assessments exhibit unprecedented Li+ discrimination against Na+/K+ (Li+ > Na+ > K+), outperforming commercial benchmark chelators (e.g., crown ethers and cryptands). Capitalizing on this trait, we fabricated a supramolecular extractant for targeted Li+ isolation from both an equimolar Li+/Na+/K+ brine and a high-Mg2+ brine (c(Mg2+)/c(Li+) ≈ 2000/1). Subsequent carbonate-induced reconfiguration reverts the initial metallocage, permitting cyclic utilization. This study deciphers cation-modulated plasticity in coordination architectures and offers a recyclable bioinspired platform for precision ion recognition and extraction.
More Related Videos
09:36In Situ Lithiated Reference Electrode: Four Electrode Design for In-operando Impedance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 12, 2018
06:53Author Spotlight: Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: June 9, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Properties of Organometallic Compounds
Ion Exchange
Acid Halides to Ketones: Gilman Reagent
As shown below, the mechanism proceeds in two steps. First, one of the alkyl groups of the reagent acts as a nucleophile and attacks the acyl carbon of the acid chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the reformation of the carbon–oxygen...
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect