Qing Li

The separation of azeotropic and structurally similar mixtures remains a fundamental challenge for conventional porous materials. Supramolecular host–guest chemistry provides exceptional recognition precision but is inherently limited by discrete cavity-confined binding. Here, we establish a strategy that extends host–guest recognition beyond cavity inclusion by activating cooperative interactions at the outer surfaces of macrocyclic hosts. Using cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) as a model system, we demonstrate that exposed outer surfaces can serve as amplifying recognition interfaces, where initial guest binding triggers subsequent molecular recruitment through cooperative aromatic interactions. Immobilization of Q[7] on magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles suppresses aggregation and enables synergistic cavity- and outer-surface-mediated recognition. The resulting material achieves highly selective and efficient separation of benzene (Ben) from n -heptane ( n -Hep) with enhanced adsorption capacity and recyclability. This work suggests outer-surface-mediated cooperative recognition as a general paradigm for designing supramolecular separation materials beyond cavity-centric host–guest chemistry.

A novel approach uses macrocyclic CB[6] as a precursor for S,N-doped carbons. Sulfur doping modulates the electronic structure of Fe–N sites, yielding Fe ₂ O ₃ @S,NHC with enhanced oxygen reduction activity.

A water-soluble cyclohexyl-substituted cucurbit[6]uril achieves quantitative benzene/cyclohexane separation via selective host–guest recognition under ambient conditions, offering a recyclable and energy-efficient alternative to distillation.

Here, by condensing each of two bisformyl precursors with the corresponding bishydrazide partner in water, two ultrasized macrocycles could be self-assembled. One was self-assembled within the cavity of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) acting as an external template, forming a ring-in-ring complex. The other requires the presence of both CB[10] and a π-electron-rich guest as an external/internal template, thus forming a ternary complex "Russian doll". When all seven precursors were combined in water, self-sorting occurred without forming hybridized products.

Separating toluene from n‐heptane is a challenging task in the petroleum industry. Traditional methods face problems including elevated energy usage, intricate technical procedures, and residual extractants. Herein, we developed an environmentally friendly, low energy consuming and economically efficient adsorption separation method. This study employed cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) as an adsorbent to efficiently separate toluene from a mixture of toluene and n‐heptane. The purity of toluene was obtained to be 99.38 % from the mixed vapors and 99.65 % from the mixed liquids. The kinetic experiment results demonstrate that the adsorption behavior of toluene was chemisorption. Density functional theory calculations show that the structure of toluene@Q[7] is more stable. In addition, vacuum heating can remove toluene from the Q[7] cavity, resulting in a guest‐free Q[7], which can be repeated for the adsorption separation process without loss of performance. This study has the potential value of addressing the pressing need for efficient resource utilization in light of diminishing petroleum supplies.

The separation of m-cresol (m-cre), p-cresol (p-cre), and 2,6-xylenol (2,6-xyl) poses a significant challenge in industrial processes. This study focuses on selectively separating m-cre and p-cre from a ternary mixture using a cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) aqueous solution to achieve the near-perfect purification of 2,6-xyl. Experimental results show that m-cre and p-cre can be selectively encapsulated by the Q[7] host, while 2,6-xyl, due to its larger volume, cannot be encapsulated. The synergistic effect of steric hindrance and complex stability contributes to effective host-guest selective encapsulation separation. The Q[7] aqueous solution can be easily recovered and reused without a significant decrease in separation performance. In the simulated industrial separation experiment, the purity of the purified cresol reached 100%. This research underscores the importance of macrocyclic host molecules in enhancing industrial separations and reducing energy costs through precise guest molecule recognition.

Ferroptosis can induce cell death that leverages Fe²⁺-triggered Fenton reactions within living organisms, leading to an excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides (LPOs) and inducing cell death. Ferroptosis can effectively circumvent the inevitable drug resistance encountered with traditional apoptotic therapies. However, several issues remain in the clinical application of ferroptosis anticancer therapy, primarily due to the poor efficiency of intracellular Fenton reaction. To address this issue, we developed a supramolecular self-assembled codelivery nanoprodrug (DOX@C18Fc-Q[7] NPs) composed of ferrocene (Fc)-based supramolecular amphiphiles (C18Fc-Q[7]) and a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) activator (doxorubicin, DOX). The C18Fc-Q[7] is based on Fc linked to a hydrophobic long-chain alkane via a disulfide linkage, which interacts with hydrophilic Q[7] to form self-assembled amphiphiles. Importantly, the host-guest interaction between Q[7] and Fc effectively enhances the solubility of Fc while maintaining the stability of the Fe²⁺ source. Moreover, C18Fc-Q[7] also acts as a good carrier for loading DOX due to its good self-assembly. In cancer cells, elevated glutathione (GSH) triggers the disassembly of nanoprodrug, leading to the release of DOX, which upregulates NOX4 expression and increases H₂O₂ level, thereby promoting an efficient Fenton reaction for Fc-induced ferroptosis. Moreover, DOX induces cell death through apoptosis, providing a synergistic effect to further enhance the ferroptosis therapy. In vivo studies have demonstrated that this enhanced ferroptosis therapy effectively inhibits tumor growth and metastasis while maintaining good biosafety.