Selectivity via Cooperative Interactions:  Detection of Dicarboxylates in Water by a Pinwheel Chemosensor

The recognition properties of a cooperative pinwheel chemosensor for dicarboxylates are described. The sensor possesses four guanidinium recognition elements to cooperatively bind two dicarboxylates of varying size. The effect of cooperativity and the read-out mechanism contributes to favorable binding constants for dicarboxylates in water, as well as a high degree of selectivity over monocarboxylates. Appropriate methods of reporting affinity for cooperative systems are discussed.