# Macrocyclic Receptors for Selective Anion Extraction (MAREXT)
# Highlighting Organic Chemistry in Finland
September 2022Dr. Kaisa Helttunen presented "Folding, wrapping and clipping: stories of host-guest and self-inclusion complexes" in the EuChemS Division of Organic Chemistry webinar: Highlighting Organic Chemistry in Finland (opens new window). Recording available in YouTube (opens new window).
# ISMSC-2022 Eugene, Oregon, USA
June 2022At last, we can travel again after the long COVID-19 induced break: Doctoral researcher Małgorzata Pamuła presented her latest work at 16th International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (opens new window) in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
# B.Sc. Julia Naulapää as Research assistant
May 2022Julia returns to our laboratory for five months to work with water-soluble calix[4]pyrroles for her M.Sc. thesis under supervision of Doctoral researcher Małgorzata Pamuła.
# Congratulations to Evgeny
January 2022Our former post-doctoral researcher Dr. Evgeny Bulatov has received an I2:ICIQ Impulsion fellowship (opens new window) for "Resorcin[4]arene and Calix[4]pyrrole Based Cavitands in Asymmetric Supramolecular Gold(I) Catalysis". He has now joined Prof. Pau Ballester and Prof. Antonio M. Echavarren research groups at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia.
# Nanoscience Days 2021 posters
October 2021Doctoral researcher Małgorzata Pamuła, Research assistant Julia Naulapää and Dr. Evgeny Bulatov presented two posters in the online poster session.
Book of abstracts (opens new window)
# Paper published in ACS Omega
September 2021Emilia J. Virtanen, Siiri Perämäki, Kaisa Helttunen, Ari Väisänen, Jani O. Moilanen, Alkyl-substituted aminobis(phosphonates) - efficient precipitating agents for rare earth elements, thorium, and uranium in aqueous solutions (opens new window)
This study reports six simple water-soluble aminobis(phosphonate) ligands, which separate selectively thorium, uranium, and scandium from rare earth elements with improved separation factors in comparison to traditional oxalate precipitation agents. The aminobis(phosphonate) ligands were found to form Y, La and Lu metal complexes with fewer ligands than traditional separation agents like DEHPA, thus requiring less precipitation agent.
# New Post-doctoral researcher
September 2020Dr. Evgeny Bulatov has joined the team. His project includes synthesis, crystallography and applications of calix[4]pyrrole based anion receptors.
# First paper accepted in Chemistry - A European Journal
February 2020Małgorzata Pamuła, Maija Nissinen, Kaisa Helttunen, Correlating solution- and solid-state structures of conformationally flexible resorcinarenes: significance of a sulfonyl group in intramolecular self‐inclusion (opens new window)
In this paper we show that a conformationally flexible resorcinarene macrocycle forms a self-inclusion complex in the solid state and adopts a similar folded conformation also in solution. The study was made using VT-NMR, XRD and computational methods. Press release (opens new window) Kemia-lehti (opens new window)
# Nanoscience Days 2019
October 2019Malgorzata Pamula and Afra Fekri presented posters at Nanoscience Days 2019 in Jyväskylä.
# New Research assistant
July 2019Afra Fekri was recruited as a part-time Research assistant for the project.
# Calix-2019 Cassis, France
June 2019It was an honour to present our latest results and meet distinguished scientists at Calix-2019 (opens new window).
# ISMSC2019 Lecce, Italy
June 2019The 14th International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (opens new window) was a great mixture of science, baroque architecture, and Italian cuisine.
# New Ph.D. student
March 2019Malgorzata Pamula (M.Sc., Chemistry) has started as a Ph.D. student in the project.
# Research at ICIQ
May 2018 - April 2019Enjoying the hospitality of Prof. Pau Ballester in his lab at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia. The inspiring research atmosphere and instrumentation are just perfect for calix[4]pyrrole chemistry.
# Overview
May 2018 - April 2023The project aims to offer pioneering solutions for the selective binding of biologically and technologically important anions. The target anions include anti-inflammatory drugs with carboxylate groups, and valuable resources, such as phosphate and precious metals (Au, Pt, Co). The project focuses on advanced synthesis of selective receptors, characterization of the anion complexes and development of extraction methods for target anions from water.
# Project Collaborators
Prof. Pablo Ballester (opens new window)
ICREA research professor at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, ICIQ
Prof. Johan Bergenholtz (opens new window)
University of Gothenburg
# Funding
