Toward mimicking viral geometry with metal-organic systems

J Am Chem Soc. 2004 Oct 20;126(41):13170-1. doi: 10.1021/ja048058r.

Abstract

Icosahedral and cuboctahedral arrangements of calixarenes, a nanometer-scale, spheroidal assembly of 12 calixarene molecules, can be manipulated in a highly controlled fashion. Previously, such assemblies were observed to favor placement of the calixarenes at the vertexes of an icosahedron. A supramolecular constraint is employed in order to enforce molecular alignment and produce a cuboctahedral arrangement. The internal volume of the cuboctahedron is approximately 30% greater than that of the icosahedron. Furthermore, in stark contrast to that of the icosahedral Platonic solid, the shell of the cuboctahedral Archimedean solid is porous.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
  • Calixarenes / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Lanthanoid Series Elements / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Phenols / chemistry*
  • Sulfonic Acids / chemistry
  • Viruses / chemistry

Substances

  • Lanthanoid Series Elements
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Phenols
  • Sulfonic Acids
  • calix(4)arene
  • Calixarenes