title: Five-fold-symmetric macrocyclic aromatic pentamers: high-affinity cation recognition, ion-pair-induced columnar stacking, and nanofibrillation.
abstract: Described in this study is a conceptually new class of five-fold-symmetric cavity-containing planar pentameric macrocycles with their interior decorated by five convergently aligned, properly spaced carbonyl oxygen atoms. These cation-binding oxygens enclose a hydrophilic lumen of 2.85 Å in radius and thus display high-affinity binding toward alkali metal cations, and possibly many other cations, too. Arising from their high-affinity recognition of metal ions, these planar macrocycles form cation- or ion-pair-induced one-dimensional columnar aggregates, and subsequently fascinating fibrillation results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and NUS MedChem Program of the Office of Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Changliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maurizot
authors.forename: Huaiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wei Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Zhiyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Huaqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng