Controlled self-assembly of a giant isohedral triakis tetrahedron
Journal
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Journal Volume
4
Journal Issue
3
Date Issued
2023
Author(s)
Jiang, ZL
Wang, J
Zhang, HX
Liu, WY
Wu, ZH
Zhao, H
Yin, JF
Chen, BT
Li, YM
Yin, PC
Wang, K
Chen, MZ
Wang, PS
Abstract
Polyhedra have long appeared throughout art and design for their aesthetic topological features and, more recently, have found versatile roles in supramolecular chemistry and organized materials. Non-regular convex tetrahedra with positive augmentations of a regular tetrahedron, for example an isohedral triakis tetrahedron, have rarely been explored in synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report the synthesis of a giant triakis tetrahedron through multi-component self-assembly from four umbrella-shaped hexa-armed organic terpyridine ligands and six pre-organized cadmium-containing building blocks. Hexafunctionalized tribenzotriquinacene cavitands serve as the scaffold for the formation of the triakis tetrahedron. The convex vertices derived from rhomboid panels form four trigonal-pyramidal cages based on regular tetrahedral faces. Characterization with multiple types of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic resolution microscopy, and X-ray scattering provide crucial structural information on the triakis tetrahedron. The triakis tetrahedron is applied in the photo-driven degradation of a sulfur mustard mimic. The principles developed herein enhance the possible topological diversity of supramolecular coordination polyhedra.
Subjects
COORDINATION CAGE; DESIGN; POLYHEDRA; ARCHITECTURE; SYMMETRY
Publisher
ELSEVIER
Type
journal article