Water soluble octa-functionalized POSS: all-click chemistry synthesis and efficient host–guest encapsulation

A series of water soluble octa-functionalized POSSs were facilely synthesized via thiol–ene and Menschutkin click chemistry. Among them, octa-alkynyl POSS further reacted with azide-terminal alkyl long chains, resulting in a well-defined, amphiphilic octopus-like POSS. For the first time it was used for host–guest encapsulation and it exhibited an ultrahigh loading capability.