Fluoride up- and down-regulates guest encapsulation for ZnII6L4 and ZnII4L4 cages

The development of artificial molecular systems capable allosteric regulation has the potential to unlock new functions related purification, sensing, and transformation bound guests. Here, we employ binding fluoride boron centers within walls metal-organic cages modulate cage conformations allosterically tune their host-guest binding. Tetrahedral ZnII4L4 octahedral ZnII6L4 that contain same boron-centered moiety responded differently binding, inhibiting or enhancing a second guest, respectively. Upon effector F−, apertures expanded, facilitating guest tetrahedral also expanded following F− addition, but this expansion led decrease in internal cavity volume, thus leading an expulsion molecules. Synergetic between was possible, whereby transferred two upon both.