Switchable bifunctional molecular recognition in water using a pH-responsive Endo-functionalized cavity.

ABSTRACT: The construction of water-soluble synthetic hosts with a stimuli-responsive endo-functionalized cavity is challenging. These hosts feature a switchable cavity and may bring new properties to the fields of self-assembly, molecular machines, and biomedical sciences. Herein, we report a pair of water-soluble naphthotubes with a pH-responsive endo-functionalized cavity. The inward-directing secondary amine group of the hosts can be protonated and deprotonated. Thus, the hosts have different cavity features at the two states and show drastically different binding preference and selectivity in water. We reveal that the binding difference of the two host states is originated from the differences in charge repulsion, hydrogen bonding and the hydrophobic effects. Moreover, the guest binding can be

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9051166 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature