Unlocking the Power of Hollow Helices, Their Related Macrocycles & Tubular Assemblies

Date	02 Feb 2026
Time	6:00 - 6:50 pm (HKT)
Venue	Lecture Theatre P2, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building
Speaker	Prof. Bing Gong
Institution	Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York at Buffalo

Self Photos / Files - Prof. Bing Gong Seminar Poster

Title:

Schedule:

Date: 2^nd February, 2026 (Monday)

Time: 6 - 6:50 pm (HKT)

Venue: Lecture Theatre P2, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building

Speaker:

Prof. Bing Gong

Department of Chemistry

The State University of New York at Buffalo

Biography:

Bing Gong earned his B.Sc. from Sichuan University in 1984 and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1990, working under the supervision of Professor David G. Lynn. From 1991 to 1994, he was the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, working in the laboratory of Professor Peter G. Schultz. He currently serves as the UB Distinguished Professor and Kurt E. Merkel Endowed Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the State University of New York at Buffalo. His research spans biomimetic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, organic chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. He is widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to the development of information‑storing molecular duplexes and to the design of porous aromatic oligoamide foldamers, often referred to as “hollow helices”. The molecular architectures developed by the Gong group have enabled directed self‑assembly and given rise to biomimetic structures capable of extremely tight guest binding, enzyme‑like catalysis, and highly efficient ion and molecular transport. His scientific contributions have impacted fields ranging from materials design, nanostructure engineering to ion channels with therapeutic applications.

Abstract:

One of the central research goals of the Gong group is to design synthetically accessible structures that can replicate the properties and functions of far more complex biomacromolecular systems. We have developed pore-containing aromatic oligoamide foldamers termed “hollow helices” that exhibit highly stable helical conformations. The folding of the oligoamides, driven by the intrinsically rigid aromatic oligoamide backbones, remains unaffected by oligomer length or side chain composition, and is preserved in both nonpolar and polar solvents. These hollow helices are in fact molecular nanotubes, featuring synthetically tunable lengths and defined inner pore diameters. The pores, lined with multiple inward-facing amide oxygen atoms, are strongly electronegative and capable of effective hydrogen bonding. Recent investigations reveal that our hollow helices serve as hosts for compatible guests in extremely high affinities. For example, some complexes, with 1:1 binding stoichiometry, exhibit affinities ranking among the highest recorded in host–guest interactions. Notably, sub-attomolar binding affinities (K_a > 1017 M⁻¹) have been attained in polar organic solvents, whereas in water, binding strengths remain exceptionally high, reaching the picomolar range (K_a > 10¹¹ M⁻¹). By stabilizing the intermediates and transition states in cationic reactions, the hollow helices exhibit enzyme-like catalytic properties, adhering to Michaelis–Menten kinetics and achieving rate enhancements exceeding 10⁴ fold. When embedded in lipid bilayers, these helices act as channels that efficiently transport or conduct molecules and ions. This channel functionality has enabled the development of nanopore sensors capable of discriminating among various amino acids, dipeptides, tripeptides, and oligosaccharides. In summary, hollow helices, along with macrocycles that share the same aromatic amide backbones, offer distinctive structural platforms that have enabled a range of functions, including high-affinity molecular recognition, enzyme-like organocatalysis, ion and molecular transport, and broad-spectrum sensing.

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