Smalltalks "Heteroleptic coordination cages for tailored nanoconfinement"

Abstract: 

Coordination cages are 3-dimensional molecular boxes with metal ions in the corners bridged by organic ligands. In the center of the coordination cage there is a nanoscale hollow cavity that is very useful in many different applications. When confined in small spaces the properties of molecules change, they can become more reactive, or conversely be protected. Coordination cages have also been used for separation of molecules and detection of molecules. One problem with conventional coordination cages, is the highly symmetric cavity. To ensure good selectivity in the encapsulation the target guest molecule should fit in the cage like a key in a lock. In my work I develop novel heteroleptic coordination cages to use for separations.