Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi win the prize for developing metal–organic frameworks

Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) that use lead (Pb)-based perovskites are promising candidates for the next generation of lighting and display technologies. However, concerns about the toxicity of Pb have delayed their progress toward commercialisation. From this viewpoint, we compare Pb-based, low-Pb and

Metal–metal (M–M) closed-shell interaction, also known as metallophilicity, is frequently observed in d10 and d8 metal complexes featuring a close M–M distance. It has shown a significant impact on di...

Photoactivatable nanomedicines are therapeutic agents that generate heat, produce reactive oxygen species, or initiate photochemical reactions through their interaction with light. These agents can be used for the diagnosis, monitoring and remote induction of therapeutic effects. However, such nanoconstructs may ha

Piano-stool Ru(II) complexes have emerged as a promising class of anticancer agents characterized by structural modularity and diverse cytotoxic activ…

Here we report a C3-symmetric metal-binding tripeptide, BTMA-1, that self-assembles in water into either a chiral supramolecular helical polymer or a discrete CoII peptide helicate, depending on metal coordination. The CoII peptide helicate exhibits high affinity and selectivity toward DNA three-way junctions (3WJ), a class of noncanonical DNA structures with emerging biological relevance. Importantly, we demonstrate that the recognition process can be triggered dynamically by adding CoII ions to a dispersion of the supramolecular polymer, which acts as an inert precursor reservoir in physiological media. In this way, our strategy shows that chiral supramolecular helical polymers can form temporarily inactive aggregates that release discrete helicates for biomolecular recognition, such as 3WJ binding, upon metal ion coordination. Overall, this mechanism reveals a previously unexplored capability of this class of materials and offers a new approach for the design of responsive supramolecular systems for nucleic acid recognition and anticancer therapy.