Host-Guest Complexes

The novel properties and poteintial applications make host-guest complexs very interesting.  The dynamics within the cavities of the porous host-guest complexes are believed to play an important role in their selectivity and specificity toward absorbed molecues. For example, the high capacity and selectivity in gas adsorption for metal organic frameworks (MOF) has been attributed to their ability to deform the flexible structures. However, experimental studies of dynamics are lacking due to the inability of insertion of fluorophores within the cavities. 2D-IR spectroscopy, on the other hand, can study fluctuations and structural dynamics within small hydrophobic cavities where fluorescent probes cannot enter (e.g. calixarene, etc.) Further, experimental determination of ultrafast structural motions of MOF can underpin how chemical composition influences the host properties. Another interesting problem is to study the dynamical behavior of the guest/solvent molecules adsorbed to the materials.