A tetrachloroazobenzene based macrocycle featuring with red-light regulated encapsulation for aryl dianionic guests

A new photo-responsive tetracationic macrocycle was designed and synthesized by connecting two bis(imidazolium)-tetrachloro-azobenzene units with o-xylene linkers. The ability of red-light triggered photoisomerization of the incorporated tetrachloroazobenzene units has featured this macrocycle with reversible photo-triggered configurational transformation, benefiting from which the distinctive red-light regulated encapsulation behavior for aromatic dicarboxylic dianions in DMSO solution could be achieved.