Dynamic Interlocked Systems based on Hybrid Polyoxometalates and Macrocycles

Creating dynamic macromolecular systems that could be used for replicating biological functions has been a topic of interest for many years. One of the key aspects of such synthetic systems is an interlocked macromolecular structure that can undergo structural changes in a controlled manner. Despite progress in the field of molecular machines created from organic structures, the search for alternative platforms still continues. Implementing a similar mechanism on a versatile, tunable platform such as hybrid polyoxometalates (HPOMs) is an exciting avenue of research. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are a group of negatively charged metaloxygen clusters with interesting magnetic, electronic, and optical properties. POMs functionalized with organic ligands are referred to as HPOMs and can benefit from the properties of both the inorganic and organic functionalities. Hence, they provide a promising platform on which macrocycles can be interlocked since recent studies have already demonstrated the possibility of incorporation of POMs within the cavity of macrocycles, such as cyclodextrin. The project aims to expand on the idea of HPOM-macrocycle interactions by synthesizing novel interlocked macromolecular structures based on HPOMs and macrocycles. These structures will be functionalized with organic moieties that have shown stimuli-responsive behavior thereby inducing changes in the position of the macrocycle on a polyoxometalate-based platform.