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Synthesis of Enantiopure Molecular Hosts for the Detection/Extraction of Ionic Species
We have recently demonstrated, thanks to the use of chiroptical techniques such as ECD spectroscopy, that enantiopure cryptophanes could be used as stimuli-responsive supramolecules in solution. This feature was clearly demonstrated in the case of the detection of cationic species (cesium and thallium ions) in water at low concentration.
The interaction between cations and cryptophanes gives rise to a very specific ECD signature that can be used to characterize the complexes. In the near future, we would like to focus on the synthesis of new cryptophanes that present higher affinity for these cations as well as large chiroptical changes upon binding. In addition, we wish to extent this work to the preparation of cryptophane molecules grafted on gold or nanoparticles for the efficient extraction of toxic metal ions from water.