@article{NollKrauseBeuerleetal.2022, author = {Noll, Niklas and Krause, Ana-Maria and Beuerle, Florian and W{\"u}rthner, Frank}, title = {Enzyme-like water preorganization in a synthetic molecular cleft for homogeneous water oxidation catalysis}, series = {Nature Catalysis}, journal = {Nature Catalysis}, edition = {accepted version}, doi = {10.1038/s41929-022-00843-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-302897}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Inspired by the proficiency of natural enzymes, mimicking of nanoenvironments for precise substrate preorganisation is a promising strategy in catalyst design. However, artificial examples of enzyme-like activation of H\(_2\)O molecules for the challenging oxidative water splitting reaction are hardly explored. Here, we introduce a mononuclear Ru(bda) complex (M1, bda: 2,2'-bipyridine-6,6'-dicarboxylate) equipped with a bipyridine-functionalized ligand to preorganize H\(_2\)O molecules in front of the metal center as in enzymatic clefts. The confined pocket of M1 accelerates chemically driven water oxidation at pH 1 by facilitating a water nucleophilic attack pathway with a remarkable turnover frequency of 140 s\(^{-1}\) that is comparable to the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. Single crystal X-ray analysis of M1 under catalytic conditions allowed the observation of a 7th H\(_2\)O ligand directly coordinated to a RuIII center. Via a well-defined hydrogen-bonding network, another H\(_2\)O substrate is preorganized for the crucial O-O bond formation via nucleophilic attack.}, language = {en} } @article{HechtLeowanawatGerlachetal.2020, author = {Hecht, Markus and Leowanawat, Pawaret and Gerlach, Tabea and Stepanenko, Vladimir and Stolte, Matthias and Lehmann, Matthias and W{\"u}rthner, Frank}, title = {Self-Sorting Supramolecular Polymerization: Helical and Lamellar Aggregates of Tetra-Bay-Acyloxy Perylene Bisimide}, series = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, volume = {59}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, number = {39}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202006744}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224586}, pages = {17084 -- 17090}, year = {2020}, abstract = {A new perylene bisimide (PBI), with a fluorescence quantum yield up to unity, self-assembles into two polymorphic supramolecular polymers. This PBI bears four solubilizing acyloxy substituents at the bay positions and is unsubstituted at the imide position, thereby allowing hydrogen-bond-directed self-assembly in nonpolar solvents. The formation of the polymorphs is controlled by the cooling rate of hot monomer solutions. They show distinctive absorption profiles and morphologies and can be isolated in different polymorphic liquid-crystalline states. The interchromophoric arrangement causing the spectral features was elucidated, revealing the formation of columnar and lamellar phases, which are formed by either homo- or heterochiral self-assembly, respectively, of the atropoenantiomeric PBIs. Kinetic studies reveal a narcissistic self-sorting process upon fast cooling, and that the transformation into the heterochiral (racemic) sheetlike self-assemblies proceeds by dissociation via the monomeric state.}, language = {en} } @article{RennerStolteWuerthner2020, author = {Renner, Rebecca and Stolte, Matthias and W{\"u}rthner, Frank}, title = {Self-Assembly of bowl-shaped naphthalimide-annulated corannulene}, series = {ChemistryOpen}, volume = {9}, journal = {ChemistryOpen}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1002/open.201900291}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-204396}, pages = {32-39}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The self-assembly of a bowl-shaped naphthalimide-annulated corannulene of high solubility has been studied in a variety of solvents by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Evaluation by the anti-cooperative K\(_2\)-K model revealed the formation of supramolecular dimers of outstanding thermodynamic stability. Further structural proof for the almost exclusive formation of dimers over extended aggregates is demonstrated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) measurements as well as by theoretical calculations. Thus, herein we present the first report of a supramolecular dimer of an annulated corannulene derivative in solution and discuss its extraordinarily high thermodynamic stability with association constants up to > 10\(^6\)M\(^-\) \(^1\) in methylcyclohexane, which is comparable to the association constants given for planar phthalocyanine and perylene bisimide dyes.}, language = {en} } @article{RestMayoralFernandez2013, author = {Rest, Christina and Mayoral, Mar{\´i}a Jos{\´e} and Fern{\´a}ndez, Gustavo}, title = {Aqueous Self-Sorting in Extended Supramolecular Aggregates}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {14}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {1}, doi = {10.3390/ijms14011541}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-129435}, pages = {1541-1565}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Self-organization and self-sorting processes are responsible for the regulation and control of the vast majority of biological processes that eventually sustain life on our planet. Attempts to unveil the complexity of these systems have been devoted to the investigation of the binding processes between artificial molecules, complexes or aggregates within multicomponent mixtures, which has facilitated the emergence of the field of self-sorting in the last decade. Since, artificial systems involving discrete supramolecular structures, extended supramolecular aggregates or gel-phase materials in organic solvents or—to a lesser extent—in water have been investigated. In this review, we have collected diverse strategies employed in recent years to construct extended supramolecular aggregates in water upon self-sorting of small synthetic molecules. We have made particular emphasis on co-assembly processes in binary mixtures leading to supramolecular structures of remarkable complexity and the influence of different external variables such as solvent and concentration to direct recognition or discrimination processes between these species. The comprehension of such recognition phenomena will be crucial for the organization and evolution of complex matter.}, language = {en} } @article{FosterEdkinsCameronetal.2014, author = {Foster, Jonathan A. and Edkins, Robert M. and Cameron, Gary J. and Colgin, Neil and Fucke, Katharina and Ridgeway, Sam and Crawford, Andrew G. and Marder, Todd B. and Beeby, Andrew and Cobb, Steven L. and Steed, Jonathan W.}, title = {Blending Gelators to Tune Gel Structure and Probe Anion-Induced Disassembly}, series = {Chemistry : A European Journal}, volume = {20}, journal = {Chemistry : A European Journal}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201303153}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121141}, pages = {279-91}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Blending different low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) provides a convenient route to tune the properties of a gel and incorporate functionalities such as fluorescence. Blending a series of gelators having a common bis-urea motif, and functionalised with different amino acid-derived end-groups and differing length alkylene spacers is reported. Fluorescent gelators incorporating 1- and 2-pyrenyl moieties provide a probe of the mixed systems alongside structural and morphological data from powder diffraction and electron microscopy. Characterisation of the individual gelators reveals that although the expected α-urea tape motif is preserved, there is considerable variation in the gelation properties, molecular packing, fibre morphology and rheological behaviour. Mixing of the gelators revealed examples in which: 1) the gels formed separate, orthogonal networks maintaining their own packing and morphology, 2) the gels blended together into a single network, either adopting the packing and morphology of one gelator, or 3) a new structure not seen for either of the gelators individually was created. The strong binding of the urea functionalities to anions was exploited as a means of breaking down the gel structure, and the use of fluorescent gel blends provides new insights into anion-mediated gel dissolution.}, language = {en} }