Bambusuril Small-Molecule Ionic Isolation Lattices for Exciton Coupled Dimers and Dicationic Fluorophores Ionic self-assembly of molecular fluorophores is a promising avenue to program properties into optical materials. Controllable optical energies, lifetimes, exciton hopping and energy transfer have bee...

Get double out of your dye! Learn how we add bambusuril receptors as an alternative to cyanostar to bring two cyanine dyes into bright orange dimers! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

#fluorescence #crystals #supramolecularchemistry

Multi-Ion Complexes and Competition from Bulky BArF– Anions for Chloride Binding in Ion Pairing Conditions Cationic charges have long been used to enhance anion binding. Embedding charge introduces strong ion pairing for target anions but also for off-target ions, ultimately generating a mixture of multi-ion species that are hard to identify and quantify. While many sidestep this problem using polar solvents and weakly coordinating ions, these approaches exclude a substantial cross-section of conditions found in applications spanning recognition, assembly, separations, templation, and catalysis. To confront this complexity, we study the binding of an anion to a cationic receptor featuring low shape complementarity in a low-polarity solvent to maximize ionic interactions. We prepared the receptor as a salt of the weakly coordinating tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (BArF–) anion and studied the binding of small chloride (Cl–) and medium-sized iodide (I–) anions. Surprisingly, the use of the bulky BArF– anion does not suppress ion pairing interactions, with 65% of the receptor being paired at 0.5 mM in dichloromethane. We observe multi-ion receptor-Cl– complexes (2:1, 1:1, 1:2), reinforcing the complexity that emerges when working in low-polarity media. We reveal the dependence of affinity on anion charge density and size and that bulky BArF– counteranions compete for chloride binding. These studies reveal the noninnocence of BArF– anions and strategies to quantify multi-ion species.

Bulky, non-coordinating anions are often innocent - until proven guilty!

Learn how to identify if BArF is associating with your cations under strong ion-pairing conditions – and how that association impacts target interactions between cations and anions.

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Yay! @gracegdhan.bsky.social for receiving the Cram Lehn Pedersen (CLP) Award in Supramolecular Chemistry at #ISMSC2025

#ISMSC2025 favorite anions, in order are BArF, PF6 and BF4. Least favorite is Cl. Favorite write-in was hydride — thanks to Yun Liu at PKU for the photo

Cyanostar synthesis on large or rapid scales† Cyanostar is a pentagonal macrocycle that is selective for polyatomic anions. Use of cyanostar in research and technology has grown since its debut in 2013 with more than 40 publications and 5 pate...

Have you ever wanted to make Cyanostar for yourself? Now you can! Here, we share the detailed synthesis of CS on a large scale or in a rapid timeframe. @floodgroup.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Take two polls to help Iupac define molecular machines An Iupac committee wants your input to guide its recommendations for key terms in the field

The 2016 Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded 'for the design and synthesis of molecular machines'. Ironically, we do not know exactly what constitutes a molecular machine. With the ultimate goal of unifying definitions and standardising terminology, Iupac needs your help!
#ChemSky #ScienceSky

Selective Binding and Light-Driven Release of Fluorous PF6– and Radioactive 99TcO4– Anions for All-to-Nothing Liquid–Liquid Extraction The removal of anions from aqueous media using molecular receptors in liquid–liquid extraction is a long-standing strategy to clean up contaminated water sources. Therein, high selectivity is needed t...

We found a way to clean polluted water using a cyanostar molecules to grab bad ions—and then let go when hit with light! 🌟 Cyanostar removes fluorinated and radioactive anions, even at low levels (4 ppb) and with Dead Sea competition #WaterCleanup @nabarupa.bsky.social pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Stoked for Banruo and IU chemistry to welcome such an awesome new colleague.

Always great to have a fan. Check out this cool photo of a kiwi 3D printed using SMILES 😁 by @kiwismile.bsky.social (guess who @bowlaursen.bsky.social)

Supramolecular Control of Helicene Circularly Polarized Luminescence Emitters in Molecular Solids and Bright Nanoparticles The intrinsic molecular chiroptical properties (electronic circular dichroism and circular polarized luminescence) of helicences are perfectly transferred from solution to the crystal state and to wa....

Sunday 8:00 #ACSSpring2025 meeting in room 32B. Amar Flood @floodgroup.bsky.social and I will both be talking about our super bright #fluorescent SMILES materials. Including recent work in #ChemSci (doi.org/10.1039/D3SC...) #nanoparticles and in #AngewandteChemie (doi.org/10.1002/anie...) on #CPL.

What do you get when you mix 2D networks with silicon? You get January’s #POTM! This month’s paper comes from @dichtel.bsky.social. It was “stiff” competition this month, but these 2D mechanically interlocked materials (2D MIMs) have some “strong” properties.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Good luck! I’m sure you and your students are going to have a lot of fun!! And I look forward to comparing notes.

First day teaching Supramolecular Chemistry (at Mizzou, it is Jerry Atwood's former class🙂)! Excited for a fun semester ahead. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Amar Flood @floodgroup.bsky.social for sharing materials!!

Great time at #NASC with the team. And a poster prize for Devika. Well done

The favorite anions of USF -- the big 3 are phosphate, chloride and cyanide

From Spotify wrapped to anions wrapped -- check out the favorites from University of South Florida's Chemistry students and faculty (thanks to Vince Liu for a great visit - vincentchemistry.com) phosphate, chloride, and cyanide top the charts #anions