Supramolecular capsules

摘要

Provided is a capsule having a shell of material that is a supramolecular cross-linked network. The network is formed from a host-guest complexation of cucurbituril (the host) and one or more building blocks comprising suitable guest functionality. The complex non-covalently crosslinks the building block and/or non-covalently links the building block to another building block thereby forming the supramolecular cross-linked network. The capsules are obtained or obtainable by the complexation of a composition comprising cucurbituril and one or more building blocks having suitable cucurbituril guest functionality thereby to form a supramolecular cross-linked network.

主权项

1. A capsule having a shell which is obtained from the complexation of a composition comprising a host and one or more building blocks having suitable host guest functionality thereby to form a supramolecular cross-linked network; wherein
the host is cucurbituril and the one or more building blocks have suitable cucurbituril guest functionality, and the shell is obtained from the complexation of (a) a composition comprising cucurbituril and (1) or (2) or (b) a composition comprising a plurality of covalently linked cucurbituril and (1), (2) or (3), wherein:
(1) comprises a first building block covalently linked to a plurality of first cucurbituril guest molecules and a second building block covalently linked to a plurality of second cucurbituril guest molecules, wherein a first guest molecule and a second guest molecule together with cucurbituril are suitable for forming a ternary guest-host complex,(2) comprises a first building block covalently linked to a plurality of first cucurbituril guest molecules and a plurality of second cucurbituril guest molecules wherein a first and a second guest molecule together with cucurbituril are suitable for forming a ternary guest-host complex and optionally the composition further comprises a second building block covalently linked to one or more third cucurbituril guest molecules, one or more fourth cucurbituril guest molecules or both, wherein a third and a fourth molecule together with cucurbituril are suitable for forming a ternary guest-host complex, and/or the first and fourth molecules together with cucurbituril are suitable for forming a ternary guest-host complex, and/or the second and third molecules together with cucurbituril are suitable for forming a ternary guest-host complex, and(3) comprises a first building block covalently linked to a plurality of first cucurbituril guest molecules, wherein the first guest molecule together with the cucurbituril are suitable for forming a binary guest-host complex, optionally the composition further comprises a second building block covalently linked to one or more second. cucurbituril guest molecules, wherein the second guest molecule together with the cucurhituril are suitable for forming a binary guest-host complex.