Nanoscale Horizons is a leading journal for the publication of exceptionally high-quality, innovative nanoscience and nanotechnology. To celebrate the excellent articles that are published in the journal, we asked some of our authors to discuss their research in more detail.
In our first blog post of this new series, we hear from Professor Jun Guo from Tiangong University as they discuss their recent article ‘Confinement of acyclic amino acids inside metal-organic frameworks with topology-varied asymmetric catalysis performances‘.
Insights from the author
This research explores how the topology of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) influences the catalytic performance of acyclic amino acids in asymmetric reactions. Although acyclic amino acids possess natural chirality and structural diversity, their applications as asymmetric catalysts have been limited by their flexible conformations and insufficient stereo-control. In this work, two polymorphic zirconium-based MOFs, PCN-777 (spn topology) and UMCM-309 (kgd topology), with identical chemical compositions but distinct topological architectures, were employed as well-defined platforms to investigate topology-dependent confinement effects.
Via post-synthetic modification (PSM), representative acyclic amino acids were anchored onto the Zr6O8 nodes. Catalytic studies demonstrated that the different framework topologies resulted in remarkably different enhancements in asymmetric aldol reactions. In particular, PCN-777 with a more accessible spn topology achieved up to a 158% increasement in catalytic turnover frequency (TOF) and a 2.7-fold improvement in enantiomeric excess (ee) compared with free amino acids, whereas UMCM-309 with a rather constrained kgd topology showed lower confinement improvements. Experimental investigations together with molecular simulations revealed that the topology-induced steric environment plays the dominant role in regulating substrate accessibility and stereoselective control.
This study is part of our broader effort to understand and utilize the porous-structure features of MOFs for precise catalytic regulation, particularly in asymmetric reactions. The revealed relationship between framework topology and asymmetric catalytic performance not only provide new insights into the rational design of confined catalytic systems but also highlight MOFs’ topology as a powerful strategy for developing high-performance heterogeneous asymmetric catalysts.
Meet the author
Dr. Jun Guo, Professor, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Separation Membrane Materials, School of Chemistry, Tiangong University.
Jun Guo is a researcher in the field of chiral nanomaterials and asymmetric catalysis. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including CSR, Nature Communications, Science Advances, JACS and Angewan, with 40 publications as first or corresponding author. His research has received over 6,600 citations with an H-index of 38. He serves as an early career advisory board member for several high-impact journals, including SmartMat, Nano Research and Chinese Chemical Letters.
Confinement of acyclic amino acids inside metal–organic frameworks with topology-varied asymmetric catalysis performances
Aijie Ma, Zhen Li, Bingcheng Liu, Fuli Ye, Yilong Li, Zhongwen Du, Jing Li, Yongli Ji, Jiye Fan, Hongli Chen, Pai Liu, Meiting Zhao and Jun Guo
Nanoscale Horiz., 2026, 11, 1570-1577. DOI: 10.1039/D6NH00010J
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Nanoscale Horizons is a leading journal for the publication of exceptionally high-quality, innovative nanoscience and nanotechnology. The journal places an emphasis on original research that demonstrates a new concept or a new way of thinking (a conceptual advance), rather than primarily reporting technological improvements. However, outstanding articles featuring truly breakthrough developments such as record performance alone may also be published in the journal. |
