Pillararene-Based Aggregation-Induced-Emission-Active Supramolecular System for Simultaneous Detection and Removal of Mercury(II) in Water.
Supramolecular polymers are polymers based on monomeric units held together with directional and reversible noncovalent interactions. Compared with traditional polymers, they possess better processability and better recycling properties, owing to their reversible monomer-to-polymer transition. Herein, we report the construction of a new supramolecular system through self-assembly of a thymine-substituted copillar[5]arene 1 and a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivative 2 in the presence of Hg2+. Copillar[5]arene 1 can coordinate with Hg2+tightly through T-Hg2+-T pairings. On the other hand, 1 can bind with guest molecule 2 through host-guest interactions between the pillararene cavity and the nitrile moiety of 2. These joint interactions generate crisscrossed networks composed of 1, 2, and Hg2+, which eventually wrap into spherical nanoparticles. Due to the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties of 2, the formed supramolecular polymer exhibits strong fluorescence which renders convenient the detection of the Hg2+-containing nanoparticles and the subsequent removal procedure. Furthermore, the polymer precipitate can be readily isolated by simple treatment, and the pseudorotaxane 2 ⊂ 1 can be recycled and reused. Our study has demonstrated a practical strategy for the sensing and removal of heavy metal ions in water by the construction of supramolecular polymers.
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China.
Hong-Bo
HB
Cheng
Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China.
Ziyan
Z
Li
Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China.
Yao-Dong
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8294-5395
YD
Huang
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China.
Lei
L
Liu
Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China.|Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, China.
Hai-Chen
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4934-8521
HC
Wu
aggregation-induced emission; mercury(II); pillararene; self-assembly; supramolecular polymer