Photoresponsive Small Molecule Inhibitors for the Remote Control of Enzyme Activity.

The development of new and effective therapeutics is reliant on the ability to study the underlying mechanisms of potential drug targets in live cells and multicellular systems. A persistent challenge in many drug development programmes is poor selectivity, which can obscure the mechanisms involved and lead to poorly understood modes of action. In efforts to improve our understanding of these complex processes, small molecule inhibitors have been developed in which their OFF/ON therapeutic activity can be toggled using light. Photopharmacology is devoted to using light to modulate drugs. Herein, we highlight the recent progress made towards the development of light-responsive small molecule inhibitors of selected enzymatic targets. Given the size of this field, literature from 2015 onwards has been reviewed.

Covalent incorporation of diphenylanthracene in oxotriphenylhexanoate organogels as a quasi-solid photon upconversion matrix.

Triplet-triplet annihilation photon upconversion (TTA-UC) in solid state assemblies are desirable since they can be easily incorporated into devices such as solar cells, thus utilizing more of the solar spectrum. Realizing this is, however, a significant challenge that must circumvent the need for molecular diffusion, poor exciton migration, and detrimental back energy transfer among other hurdles. Here, we show that the above-mentioned issues can be overcome using the versatile and easily synthesized oxotriphenylhexanoate (OTHO) gelator that allows covalent incorporation of chromophores (or other functional units) at well-defined positions. To study the self-assembly properties as well as its use as a TTA-UC platform, we combine the benchmark couple platinum octaethylporphyrin as a sensitizer and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) as an annihilator, where DPA is covalently linked to the OTHO gelator at different positions. We show that TTA-UC can be achieved in the chromophore-decorated gels and that the position of attachment affects the photophysical properties as well as triplet energy transfer and triplet-triplet annihilation. This study not only provides proof-of-principle for the covalent approach but also highlights the need for a detailed mechanistic insight into the photophysical processes underpinning solid state TTA-UC.

Multi-color emission with orthogonal input triggers from a diarylethene pyrene-OTHO organogelator cocktail.

We report on a pyrene-decorated supramolecular gelator based on an oxotriphenylhexanoate (OTHO) that can switch emission profiles between the solution and gel phase. A cocktail of the gelator and a photochromic diarylethene derivative enables four distinct emissive states to be obtained, which are modulated with light and heat as orthogonal input triggers.

Interpenetrated Cage Structures.

This Review covers design strategies, synthetic challenges, host-guest chemistry, and functional properties of interlocked supramolecular cages. Some dynamic covalent organic structures are discussed, as are selected examples of interpenetration in metal-organic frameworks, but the main focus is on discrete coordination architectures, that is, metal-mediated dimers. Factors leading to interpenetration, such as geometry, flexibility and chemical makeup of the ligands, coordination environment, solvent effects, and selection of suitable counter anions and guest molecules, are discussed. In particular, banana-shaped bis-pyridyl ligands together with square-planar metal cations have proven to be suitable building blocks for the construction of interpenetrated double-cages obeying the formula [M4 L8 ]. The peculiar topology of these double-cages results in a linear arrangement of three mechanically coupled pockets. This allows for the implementation of interesting guest encapsulation effects such as allosteric binding and template-controlled selectivity. In stimuli-responsive systems, anionic triggers can toggle the binding of neutral guests or even induce complete structural conversions. The increasing structural and functional complexity in this class of self-assembled hosts promises the construction of intelligent receptors, novel catalytic systems, and functional materials.

Desymmetrization of an Octahedral Coordination Complex Inside a Self-Assembled Exoskeleton.

The synthesis of a centrally functionalized, ribbon-shaped [6]polynorbornane ligand L that self-assembles with Pd(II) cations into a {Pd2 L4 } coordination cage is reported. The shape-persistent {Pd2 L4 } cage contains two axial cationic centers and an array of four equatorial H-bond donors pointing directly towards the center of the cavity. This precisely defined supramolecular environment is complementary to the geometry of classic octahedral complexes [M(XY)6 ] with six diatomic ligands. Very strong binding of [Pt(CN)6 ](2-) to the cage was observed, with the structure of the host-guest complex {[Pt(CN)6 ]@Pd2 L4 } supported by NMR spectroscopy, MS, and X-ray data. The self-assembled shell imprints its geometry on the encapsulated guest, and desymmetrization of the octahedral platinum species by the influence of the D4h -symmetric second coordination sphere was evidenced by IR spectroscopy. [Fe(CN)6 ](3-) and square-planar [Pt(CN)4 ](2-) were strongly bound. Smaller octahedral anions such as [SiF6 ](2-) , neutral carbonyl complexes ([M(CO)6 ]; M=Cr, Mo, W) and the linear [Ag(CN)2 ](-) anion were only weakly bound, showing that both size and charge match are key factors for high-affinity binding.

Modular synthesis of linear bis- and tris-monodentate fused [6]polynorbornane-based ligands and their assembly into coordination cages.

A modular approach has been developed for the synthesis of rigid linear di- and tritopic ligands based on a fused [6]polynorbornane scaffold. The design provides up to three sites for installing functionality, including both "ends" and a "central" position with the advantage that each region can be independently addressed during synthesis. To illustrate the utility of the approach, both pyridyl and picolyl units were incorporated to provide six new ligands, with centers and ends either matched or mismatched. Indeed, both [M2L4] cages with endohedral functionality and [M3L4] complexes were cleanly produced from these ligands with assembled structures confirmed by using (1)H NMR spectroscopy, HRMS, and molecular modelling.