Dedicated to Prof. Julius Rebek Jr. on the occasion of his 75th birthday
Abstract
This Account describes our efforts over the last decade to synthesize self-assembled
metal–ligand cage complexes that display reactive functional groups on their interiors.
This journey has taken us down a variety of research avenues, including studying the
mechanism of reversible self-assembly, analyzing ligand self-sorting properties, post-assembly
reactivity, molecular recognition, and binding studies, and finally reactivity and
catalysis. Each of these individual topics are discussed here, as are the lessons
learned along the way and the future research outlook. These self-assembled hosts
are the closest mimics of enzymes to date, as they are capable of size- and shape-selective
molecular recognition, substrate activation and turnover, as well as showing less
common ‘biomimetic’ properties such as the ability to employ cofactors in reactivity,
and alter the prevailing mechanism of the catalyzed reactions.
1 Introduction
2 Paddlewheels and Self-Sorting Behavior
3 First-Row Transition-Metal-Mediated Assembly: Sorting and Stereochemical Control
4 Post-Assembly Reactivity
5 Molecular Recognition and Catalysis
6 Conclusions and Outlook
Key words
molecular recognition - enzyme mimicry - self-assembly - catalysis - coordination
complexes - host–guest chemistry