Sequentially programmable supramolecular assembly: boosting organic phosphorescence through hierarchical conformational confinement
摘要
In contrast to conventional stimuli-responsive systems driven by disordered and uncoordinated input signals, sequence-responsive architectures exhibit intrinsic superiority in fabricating intelligent nanoconstructs with biomimetic responsiveness and tunable functionality. Herein, we present a sequentially programmable supramolecular assembly engineered through hierarchical conformational confinement of n-dodecyl-bridged 4-(4-bromophenyl)pyridinium salts (G1) with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). Photophysical investigation reveals that the sequential co-inclusion by α-CD and CB[7] substantially immobilizes the molecular conformation, resulting in a remarkable enhancement of organic phosphorescence intensity through restoration of the emissive pathway. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, the obtained G1@α-CD@CB[7] assembly is successfully employed in information anti-counterfeiting and data storage via the triplet-to-singlet Förster resonance energy transfer. This study elucidates an innovative yet straightforward approach for manipulating photoluminescent properties by exploiting the differential molecular recognition capabilities of macrocyclic hosts, thereby advancing the development of environmentally responsive supramolecular optical materials.