Optical Anion Sensing Using Templated and Surface Assembled Interlocked Cavities

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There is intense current interest being shown in the design and syntheses of receptors that are proficient at detecting anions in solution. This project aims to construct novel surface attached interlocked 'host' molecules that are designed to bind, highly specifically, negatively charged guest species (phosphate and chloride) within a single molecular host framework. The optical signalling or reporter group is incorporated into the host cavity such that the guest selectively fits in close proximity to this optically sensitive group and a response occurs on host-guest binding. Using the guest anion to act as a template to assemble a host cavity around it, where the host binding site consists of a wheel wrapping around an axle, results in a unique topological cavity of ideal three dimensions for the anion template. This template can be chosen to be a target species to sense eg chloride. Attaching the resultant molecular host system to a surface followed by removal of the templating anion leads to the production of an optical sensing device material that will exhibit unprecedented selectivity and sensitivity towards targeted negatively charged species.