Nanoscale Molecular Architectures - New Metallo Cages and Capsules

将进行新型笼状和胶囊状超分子结构的设计和合成，包括两种大型笼型的罕见例子-一种设计将两个相邻的金属离子纳入扩展（手性）腔中，而另一种利用大环金属配合物作为笼的“壁”。在后一种情况下，金属的变化使得占据中心腔的客体的电子环境的改变成为可能。第三种（类似胶囊的）系统被设计成在pH值控制下“打开”和“关闭”。目前的研究为未来纳米级分子器件的发展奠定了基础。

The design and synthesis of novel cage and capsule-like supermolecular structures will be undertaken, including rare examples of two large cage types - one designed to incorporate two adjacent metal ions in an extended (chiral) cavity while the other utilises macrocyclic metal complexes as the 'walls' of the cage. In the latter case metal variation makes possible the alteration of the electronic environment of a guest occupying the central cavity . A third (capsule-like) system is designed to 'open' and 'close' under pH control. The present studies hold promise for underpinning the future development of nano-scale molecular devices.