Cubic metal-covalent-supramolecular organic framework (MCSOF-1) hybrid has been created from the reaction of two molecular components and subsequent co-assembly with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) in water. In the presence of CB[8], [Ru(bpy)3]2+ -based acylhydrazine 1·2Cl reacted with aldehyde 2·Cl to quantitatively yield six-armed precursor 3·8Cl through the generation of MCSOF-1. MCSOF-1 combines the structural features of metal-, covalent- and supramolecular organic frameworks. Its periodicity in water and in the solid state was confirmed by synchrotron X-ray scattering and diffraction experiments. MCSOF-1 could enrich discrete anionic polyoxometalates (POMs), maintain periodicity in acidic medium, and remarkably facilitate visible light-induced electron transfer from its [Ru(bpy)3]2+ units to enriched POMs, leading to enhanced catalysis of the POMs for the reduction of proton to H2 in both aqueous (homogeneous) and organic (heterogeneous) media.

A water-soluble metallo-supramolecular polymer MSP-f-6Np, which possesses a regular pore aperture of 1.4 nm, has been assembled from a structurally flexible naphthalene-appended [Ru(bipy)3]2+ complex and cucurbit[8]uril. As the first periodic metallo-supramolecular polymer formed by a flexible building block, MSP-f-6Np exhibits a hydrodynamic diameter of 122 and 164 nm at 0.1 and 2.0 mM of the monomer concentrations. Synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering experiments confirm that MSP-f-6Np possesses porosity periodicity in both the solution and solid states. Compared with a control, the new highly ordered porous system displays enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic dyes.