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Anions play many roles in our environment. Consequently, the development of synthetic receptors capable of targeted anion binding is of ongoing importance. While many such receptors are known, simplified designs and measurement approaches are always beneficial. Herein, we report the synthesis of a non-symmetric aryl-triazole pentad receptor appended with a single ferrocene, its electrochemistry, and the selective binding to dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4–) anions of its oxidized form over various environmentally prevalent anions (HSO4–, Cl–, NO3–). The receptor was constructed using a modular architecture with simple installation of a ferrocene unit using click chemistry. Electrochemical analysis on the receptor revealed that addition of H2PO4– anion led to a shift in the redox peaks of the receptor (FcP) towards more negative potentials, indicating higher anion affinity was achieved after the ferrocene was oxidized to its cationic form (FcP+). This work verifies prior studies on the efficacy of cationic charge in simpler receptor design for the creation of functional host-guest systems. 

Early-career scientists need opportunities to present their research and to network. Within the supramolecular chemistry community, local conferences that provide such opportunities have arisen over the last few decades. However, a suitable conference in North America was still missing. In 2022, we therefore organized the first North American Supramolecular Chemistry (NASC) meeting to bring together supramolecular chemists from across the continent and to provide career building opportunities for PhD students and postdocs. For this Conference Proceeding, we asked some of the invited speakers, as well as the winners of the best talk prizes, to provide their opinion of the meeting and their vision on the future of supramolecular chemistry in North America.