Electron-catalysed molecular recognition

Yang Jiao, Yunyan Qiu, Long Zhang, Wei-Guang Liu, Haochuan Mao, Hongliang Chen, Yuanning Feng, Kang Cai, Dengke Shen, Bo Song, Xiao-Yang Chen, Xuesong Li, Xingang Zhao, Ryan M. Young, Charlotte L. Stern, Michael R. Wasielewski, R. Dean Astumian, William A. Goddard () and J. Fraser Stoddart ()
Additional contact information
Yang Jiao: Northwestern University
Yunyan Qiu: Northwestern University
Long Zhang: Northwestern University
Wei-Guang Liu: California Institute of Technology
Haochuan Mao: Northwestern University
Hongliang Chen: Northwestern University
Yuanning Feng: Northwestern University
Kang Cai: Northwestern University
Dengke Shen: Northwestern University
Bo Song: Northwestern University
Xiao-Yang Chen: Northwestern University
Xuesong Li: Northwestern University
Xingang Zhao: Northwestern University
Ryan M. Young: Northwestern University
Charlotte L. Stern: Northwestern University
Michael R. Wasielewski: Northwestern University
R. Dean Astumian: University of Maine
William A. Goddard: California Institute of Technology
J. Fraser Stoddart: Northwestern University

Nature, 2022, vol. 603, issue 7900, 265-270

Abstract: Abstract Molecular recognition1–4 and supramolecular assembly5–8 cover a broad spectrum9–11 of non-covalently orchestrated phenomena between molecules. Catalysis12 of such processes, however, unlike that for the formation of covalent bonds, is limited to approaches13–16 that rely on sophisticated catalyst design. Here we establish a simple and versatile strategy to facilitate molecular recognition by extending electron catalysis17, which is widely applied18–21 in synthetic covalent chemistry, into the realm of supramolecular non-covalent chemistry. As a proof of principle, we show that the formation of a trisradical complex22 between a macrocyclic host and a dumbbell-shaped guest—a molecular recognition process that is kinetically forbidden under ambient conditions—can be accelerated substantially on the addition of catalytic amounts of a chemical electron source. It is, therefore, electrochemically possible to control23 the molecular recognition temporally and produce a nearly arbitrary molar ratio between the substrates and complexes ranging between zero and the equilibrium value. Such kinetically stable supramolecular systems24 are difficult to obtain precisely by other means. The use of the electron as a catalyst in molecular recognition will inspire chemists and biologists to explore strategies that can be used to fine-tune non-covalent events, control assembly at different length scales25–27 and ultimately create new forms of complex matter28–30.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04377-3

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