White Phosphorus Is Air-Stable Within a Self-Assembled Tetrahedral Capsule
White Phosphorus Is Air-Stable Within a Self-Assembled Tetrahedral Capsule
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1175313
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发表时间：
2009-06-26
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Nitschke, Jonathan R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mal, Prasenjit;Breiner, Boris;Nitschke, Jonathan R.
白色磷对空气敏感的性质是其作为弹药的破坏性作用的基础：四面体P-4分子很容易与大气中的分子氧反应，导致这种形式的元素在暴露于空气时自燃。在这里，我们表明，疏水P-4分子呈现空气稳定和水溶性内的自组装四面体容器分子，形成在水中从简单的有机子成分和铁（II）离子的疏水中空。这种稳定化不是通过密封排除O-2来实现的，而是通过压缩单个P-4分子来实现的;向P-4中添加氧原子将导致形成对于其容器来说太大的氧化物质。通过加入竞争性客体苯，磷可以以受控的方式释放，而不会破坏笼。
The air-sensitive nature of white phosphorus underlies its destructive effect as a munition: Tetrahedral P-4 molecules readily react with atmospheric dioxygen, leading this form of the element to spontaneously combust upon exposure to air. Here, we show that hydrophobic P-4 molecules are rendered air-stable and water-soluble within the hydrophobic hollows of self-assembled tetrahedral container molecules, which form in water from simple organic subcomponents and iron(II) ions. This stabilization is not achieved through hermetic exclusion of O-2 but rather by constriction of individual P-4 molecules; the addition of oxygen atoms to P-4 would result in the formation of oxidized species too large for their containers. The phosphorus can be released in controlled fashion without disrupting the cage by adding the competing guest benzene.