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Published on: June 10, 2021
Distorted octahedral supramolecular cages based on spirobiindane with enhanced emission.
Yijun Xiao1, Zhantao Wang1, Ning Wang1
1Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou-510006, China. jylz-cmz@gzhu.edu.cn.
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|June 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers synthesized novel distorted octahedral supramolecular cages using a spirobiindane core. These cages demonstrate tunable luminescence, offering new insights for designing advanced supramolecular systems.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Established methods exist for regular polyhedral cages using symmetric ligands.
- Assembling distorted polyhedra with lower symmetry ligands presents a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the synthesis of two novel distorted octahedral supramolecular cages, S1 and S2.
- To investigate the influence of varying π-conjugation lengths and heteroatoms on cage structure and luminescence.
- To explore the potential for rational design of tunable luminescent supramolecular systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a spirobiindane-derived rigid core to construct distorted octahedral supramolecular cages.
- Synthesized two distinct cages (S1 and S2) with modifications in π-conjugation and heteroatom composition.
- Characterized the structural and photophysical properties, including fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF) and emission behavior in different solvent environments.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized two distorted octahedral supramolecular cages, S1 and S2.
- Cage S1 exhibited a high fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF) of up to 72.87% in DMF, increasing to 96.24% in a DMF/H2O mixture.
- Cage S2, with extended π-conjugation and heteroatoms, showed red-shifted emission and aggregation-induced emission enhancement but a lower ΦF compared to S1.
Conclusions:
- The spirobiindane unit serves as a rigid platform for creating distorted supramolecular cages.
- π-conjugation extension and heteroatoms significantly modulate the emission properties of supramolecular assemblies.
- This work provides a new perspective for designing and constructing luminescent supramolecular systems with tunable properties.
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