In a multicomponent mixture of potential guests and hosts, self-sorting phenomena can direct self-assembly processes into the formation of only one or a small subset out of all possible assemblies.

Self-sorting is often categorized into the so-called narcissistic self-sorting, in which a molecule recognizes an identical copy of itself, but social self-sorting is also possible

The Schalley group has investigated a number of different supramolecular complexes with respect to self-sorting phenomena, inter alia pseudorotaxanes, calixarene capsules, metallo-supramolecular complexes and cucurbituril assemblies.

Integrative self-sorting of two divalent compounds, one axle bearing two different secondary ammonium ions and a crown ether dimer incorporating [21]crown-7 and [24]crown-8. The only product is the assembly with antiparallel axles and crown dimers

 

Related Publications

Self-Sorted Pseudorotaxanes

• 185

  Pseudorotaxanes with Self-Sorted Sequence and Stereochemistry
  C. Talotta, C. Gaeta, Z. Qi, C.A. Schalley, P. Neri
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 7437-7441

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• 157

  [4]Pseudorotaxanes with Remarkable Self-Sorting Selectivities
  W. Jiang, D. Sattler, K. Rissanen, C.A. Schalley
  Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 4502-4505

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• 140

  Monitoring Self-Sorting by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Formation Intermediates and Error-Correction during the Self-Assembly of Multiply Threaded Pseudorotaxanes
  W. Jiang, P.C. Mohr, A. Schäfer, C.A. Schalley
  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2309-2320

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• 124

  Integrative Self-Sorting Is A Programming Language for High Level Self-Assembly
  W. Jiang, C.A. Schalley
  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2009, 106, 10425-10429

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• 116

  Integrative Self-Sorting: Construction of a Cascade-Stoppered Hetero[3]Rotaxane
  W. Jiang, H.D.F. Winkler, C.A. Schalley
  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 13852-13853

 

Self-Sorted Metallo-Supramolecular Assemblies

• 149

  Thermodynamically controlled self-sorting of hetero-bimetallic metallo-supramolecular macrocycles: What a difference a methylene group makes!
  B. Brusilowskij, E. V. Dzyuba, R. W. Troff, C.A. Schalley
  Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 1830-1832

 

Self-Sorted Cucurbituril Complexes

• 152

  Self-Sorting of Water-soluble Cucurbituril Pseudorotaxanes
  W. Jiang, Q. Wang, I. Linder, F. Klautzsch, C.A. Schalley
  Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 2344-2348

 

Self-Sorted Tetraureacalixarene Capsules

• 125

  A Self-Sorting Scheme based on Tetra-Urea Calix[4]arenes
  Y. Rudzevich, V. Rudzevich, F. Klautzsch, C.A. Schalley, V. Böhmer
  Angew. Chem. 2009, 121, 3925-3929; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 3867-3871