Bright Fluorescence and Host-Guest Sensing with a Nanoscale M₄L₆ Tetrahedron Accessed by Self-Assembly of Zinc-Imine Chelate Vertices and Perylene Bisimide Edges

A highly luminescent Zn4L6 tetrahedron is reported with 3.8 nm perylene bisimide edges and hexadentate Zn(II)-imine chelate vertices. Replacing Fe(II) and monoamines commonly utilized in subcomponent self-assembly with Zn(II) and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine provides access to a metallosupramolecular host with the rare combination of structural integrity at concentrations <10(-7) mol L(-1) and an exceptionally high fluorescence quantum yield of Φ(em) =0.67. Encapsulation of multiple perylene or coronene guest molecules is accompanied by strong luminescence quenching. We anticipate this self-assembly strategy may be generalized to improve access to brightly fluorescent coordination cages tailored for host-guest light-harvesting, photocatalysis, and sensing.