Recognition of polyfluorinated compounds through self-aggregation in a cavity.

ABSTRACT

Polyfluorinated aliphatic compounds were encapsulated by a self-assembled M6L4 coordination host in aqueous media. NMR titration and X-ray crystallographic analyses clearly revealed that the aggregation of the fluorinated moieties of the guests in the host cavity plays a significant role in the binding. Polyfluorinated aromatics did not show such aggregation in the cavity because of their "nonfluorous" nature.