Water Chains in Hydrophobic Crystal Channels: Nanoporous Materials as Supramolecular Analogues of Carbon Nanotubes

graphical abstract

R. Natarajan, J. P. H. Charmant, A. G. Orpen, A. P. Davis

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 5125-5129

Abstract

Pore design: Nanoporous steroidal crystals can be engineered for a range of channel properties. For example, the walls may be coated with aromatic groups to mimic the interior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The pores in these structures are occupied by “water wires”, as proposed for water in CNTs themselves.