Metal Cation-Doped ns -Cucurbit[10]uril: Adsorption of Para-Phenylenediamine.

The separation of phenylenediamine (PDA) isomers is crucial in the field of chemical manufacturing. Herein, we presented a strategy for the separation of PDA isomers (para-phenylenediamine, p -PDA; meta-phenylenediamine, m -PDA; ortho-phenylenediamine, o -PDA) using four supramolecular framework materials of ns -cucurbit[10]uril ( ns -Q[10]), (1) ns -Q[10](Cd), (2) ns -Q[10](Mn), (3) ns -Q[10](Cu), (4) ns -Q[10](Pb). Our findings indicated that these supramolecular framework materials of ns -Q[10] showed remarkable selectivity for para-phenylenediamine ( p -PDA) in p -PDA, m -PDA, and o -PDA mixtures, respectively. The variations in selectivity observed in these four single-crystal structures arose from variations in the thermodynamic stabilities and binding modes of the host-guest complexes. Importantly, the supramolecular framework based on ns -Q[10] exhibited selective accommodation of p -PDA over its isomers. This study highlighted the practical application of ns -Q[10] in effectively separating PDA isomers and demonstrated the potential utility of ns -Q[10] in isolating other organic molecules.