Hierarchical self-assembly of 3D amphiphilic discrete organoplatinum(II) metallacage in water

Here we described the design and synthesis of a discrete 3D amphiphilic metallacage 4, in which the tetragonal prismatic frameworks act as the hydrophobic cores and the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains as the hydrophilic tails. The structure of 4 was characterized by H-1 NMR, P-31 NMR and electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS). Notably, 4 with its long PEG tails was subsequently ordered into micelles at a low concentration (1.20 x 10(-6) mol/L) in water. As the concentration and cultivation time increased, the micelles can further self-assembly into nanofibers and nanoribbons. Considering the dynamic property of the coordination bond, these structures show reversible transformation under external stimuli. (C) 2019 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.