Templating photodimerization of coumarins within a water-soluble nano reaction vessel.

An octahedral Pd nanocage serves as a reaction vessel to control photodimerization of coumarins in water. The coumarin derivatives explored in this study react within the Pd nanocage to selectively yield a syn head-head dimer, whereas in water, they yield either a mixture of dimers or a different isomer. The selective dimerization is interpreted to mean that the monomers are preorganized by the cage through weak intermolecular forces. The selectivity obtained within the nanocage is more general and predictable compared to other hosts used previously to control the geometry of photodimerization reactions.