BINOL-Based Zirconium Metal–Organic Cages: Self-Assembly, Guest Complexation, Aggregation-Induced Emission, and Circularly Polarized Luminescence

The development of nanoscale chiral materials with enhanced optical properties holds significant promise for advancing technologies in light-emitting devices and enantioselective sensing. Here, we report the self-assembly of chiral metal-organic cages from an axially chiral, AIE-active binaphthyl dicarboxylate ligand. This supramolecular architecture functions as a multifunctional platform, demonstrating a high affinity for anionic guests through synergistic electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The rigid cage framework not only enhances the ligand's intrinsic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) but also serves as a highly effective chiral amplifier. Notably, MOCs significantly boost the circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), achieving a luminescence dissymmetry factor (|g_lum|) of 1.2 × 10^-3. This value represents an approximately five-fold enhancement over that of the unassembled ligand. The photophysical properties of this chiral supramolecular system provide a strategic blueprint for designing next-generation optical nanomaterials.