Dual Proton/Anion Binding Through Reciprocal Allostery in Platinum(II) Lantern-Shaped Cages

Reciprocal allosteric regulation, where binding events influence each other simultaneously, is a key target for supramolecular chemists designing biomimetic systems. Platinum(II) lantern-shaped cages, formed from a series of ligands bearing central protonatable sites of varied basicity through rational tuning of the backbone, featured nuanced dual action host-guest chemistry. This reveals the first example of reciprocal allostery in a supramolecular system, between protonation and anion binding. Switching studies were conducted using acid/base and silver/chloride stimuli, with single and multi-anion systems.