Biomimetic Self-Assembly of Co^II-Seamed Hexameric Metal-Organic Nanocapsules

A Co^II₁₈L₆ hexameric metal-organic nanocapsule (MONC) has been prepared and characterized using biomimetic self-assembly as the synthetic methodology. Akin to the biological behavior of zinc-finger proteins' release, uptake, and electrophilic substitution of Zn²⁺ ions, the assembly of this novel MONC has been accomplished by employing three sequential processes: assembly of the framework, metal ion insertion, and metal exchange, resulting in the formation of the Co^II₁₈L₆ hexameric MONC. In this work, inspired by the biological behavior of metalloproteins, rational control of multiple complex supramolecular self-assembly has been achieved.