Solid-State Materials and Molecular Cavities and Containers for the Supramolecular Recognition and Storage of NO_X-Species: A Review

Abstract

Solid-state materials, such as small-cavity zeolites, carbon and boron nitride nanotubes, etc., as well as organic molecular cavities and containers, such as calix-, resorcin-, pillar[n]arenes, etc., offer great potential for their applications for the selective optical and/or electrochemical detection, extraction and storage (via encapsulation) of NO_x species (N₂O, NO, NO₂/N₂O₄, etc.), among others (O₂, CO₂, SO_x, etc.). This is of great importance, since NO_x species are known as environmental pollutants and physiologically active compounds. This review is focused on the recent advances on the detection and effective storage of NO_x gases with the employment of both organic molecular cavities and containers and inorganic solid-state materials. The effects of structural variations, including the NO_x recognition mode, type of the material (inorganic or organic), geometric sizes, and conformation variations, are discussed.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

• environmental pollutants
• molecular cavities and containers
• No_x encapsulation
• No_x gases
• No_x recognition
• solid-state materials

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This review is co-authored by Professor Dmitry M. Rudkevich (1963–2007), my great friend and advisor, a person with a big heart, and a brilliant scientist who had a bright future. He was the first to introduce me to the amazing world of supramolecular chemistry and molecular recognition. His life ended tragically on August 4, 2007, when he was not yet 44 years old. He is an author and co-author of more than 140 scientific papers and book chapters, including several invited review articles (and still counting). Former members of Prof. D.M. Rudkevich's group at UT Arlington—Dr. Yanlong Kang, Dr. Volter G. Organo, Dr. Heng Xu, Dr. Erin M. Hempe, Dr. Alex V. Leontiev, and all others—are gratefully acknowledged for their contribution to this work.