Nanocapsules of unprecedented internal volume seamed by calcium ions
The inception of an unprecedented class of voluminous Platonic solids displaying hierarchical geometry based on pyrogallol[4]arene moieties seamed by divalent calcium ion is described. Single-crystal X-ray structural determination has established the highly conserved geometry of two original Ca2+-seamed nanocapsules to be essentially cubic in shape with C-ethylpyrogallol[4]arene units located along the twelve edges of the cube which are then bridged by metallic polyatomic cations ([Ca4Cl]7+ or [Ca(HCO2)Na4]5+) at the six cube faces. The accessible volume of the nanocapsules is ca. 3500 Å3 and 2500 Å3 and is completely isolated from the exterior of the capsules. These remarkable nanocapsule discoveries castmore »