Ref: Org. Lett. 2025, 27, 9, 2093–2097
Description:
In this standout study published in Organic Letters, the team introduces a pyridine-bis(carboxamide)-strapped pillar[5]arene capsule whose single-atom orientation within the macrocycle dramatically tunes guest binding. They achieved exceptionally high selectivity and affinity (Kₐ > 10⁴ M⁻¹) for 1,2-diaminoethane and other nitrile/isonitrile guests in a polar organic solvent, demonstrating the power of atomic-scale design in macrocyclic host-guest chemistry. This work sets a new benchmark for engineered molecular capsules, and opens exciting routes to tailor guest binding, adaptive materials and responsive supramolecular systems.
