Latent Pores: Revolutionizing Industrial Separation with Invisible Molecular Cavities

In recent scientific advancements, researchers have explored an intriguing property of certain macrocyclic molecular crystals: *latent pores*. These *now-you-see-them-now-you-don't* cavities emerge only under specific conditions or in the presence of certain 'guest' molecules, offering a revolutionary approach to industrial separation processes. The study, published in **Nature Communications**, focuses on planar tris(phenylisoxazolyl)benzene, a simple flat molecule that has already found uses in semiconductors and LEDs. This research highlights its remarkable ability to selectively encapsulate cis- over trans-decalin, showing a 96% success rate thanks to intermolecular forces stabilizing the pores. **Latent pores** hold potential for applications like gas entrapment and trace element removal from water, marking significant progress in supramolecular chemistry.