A modular approach to organic, coordination complex and polymer based podand hosts for anions

A range of novel host molecules with various degrees of preorganisation for the supramolecular complexation of anionic guest species are analysed within the context of other recent advances in the field. A modular approach to the design of cationic podands incorporating both organic and coordination compound cores is discussed. Special attention is given to ‘pinwheel’ hosts with functionalities including pyridyl, bipyridyl, aminopyridyl and ureas. The electrochemical and photochemical anion sensing by these functionalised podands is also reviewed. Much larger and more pre-organised calixarene units with consequent alteration of complexation properties, as well as the extension of this work to polystyrene-based and coordination polymer systems and metallogels are also covered.