Strong Binding of Hydrocarbons to Cucurbituril Probed by Fluorescent Dye Displacement: A Supramolecular Gas‐Sensing Ensemble

Hydrocarbons are no longer afraid of water when they are reversibly encapsulated by cucurbituril (see picture). The pumpkin-shaped molecular container displays a high affinity and selectivity towards neutral molecules in salt-free aqueous solutions. A supramolecular sensing ensemble, composed of cucurbit[6]uril and an anchored indicator dye, is introduced as a highly sensitive fluorescence-based online detection tool for gas binding in solution. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.