ArticleNature chemistry2024
A charge-neutral organic cage selectively binds strongly hydrated sulfate anions in water.
Article in Nature chemistry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Post-modifiable trapezoidal cage and selective recognition of SOMolecular diversity · 2026Article
- Pyridine and N-Pyridinium Functionalized Macrocyclic Squaramide Anion Receptors with High Affinity for Aqueous Sulfate.Chemistry, an Asian journal · 2026Article
- Embracing Complexity: Peptides as Tunable Scaffolds in the Construction of Discrete Supramolecular Systems.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) · 2025Review
- A Detailed Thermodynamic Description of Ion Pair Binding by a Calix[4]arene Derivative Containing Urea and Amide Functionalities.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Non-Symmetrical Tetradentate Mixed Halogen Bonding-Hydrogen Bonding Macrocycles for Anion Recognition in Aqueous-Organic Media.Chemistry, an Asian journal · 2025Article
- Proline-based tripodal cages with guest-adaptive features for capturing hydrophilic and amphiphilic fluoride substances.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Kinetic Trapping of Rylene Diimide Covalent Organic Cages.The Journal of organic chemistry · 2025Article
- A New Bis-Urea Based Cage Receptor for Anions: Synthesis, Solid State Structures and Binding Studies.Chemistry, an Asian journal · 2025Article
- Polyanionic Receptors for Carboxylates in Water.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) · 2025Article
- Selective aqueous anion recognition in an anionic host.iScience · 2024Article
- Thermodynamics of Anion Binding by (Thio)ureido-calix[4]arene Derivatives in Acetonitrile.ACS physical chemistry Au · 2024Article
- Applying a Tripodal Hexaurea Receptor for Binding to an Antitumor Drug, Combretastatin-A4 Phosphate.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Clever cryptand cage coordinates contaminants.Nature chemistry · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
In biological systems, enzymes and transport proteins can bind anions in aqueous media solely by forming hydrogen bonds with charge-neutral motifs. Reproducing this functionality in synthetic systems presents challenges and incurs high costs, particularly when targeting strongly hydrated anions such as sulfate. Here we report a [2.2.2]urea cryptand (cage), synthesized in one pot, that selectively binds sulfate in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and water and in water with affinities in the micromolar to millimolar range. The neutral cage bearing six urea groups donates 12 strong hydrogen bonds to encapsulate a sulfate anion, showing favourable enthalpy even in pure water. Sulfate binding can be further enhanced by using micelles to provide a low-polarity microenvironment. The cage finds utility in analysing divalent anions in water and beverage samples or in removing sulfate. The work demonstrates the achievability of robust and selective anion binding in water with minimal synthetic efforts, by using neutral NH hydrogen bonds akin to those found in biology.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.