ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coordination cage

Okay kiddo, so imagine you have a big box and you want to put some toys inside it. But instead of just throwing all the toys in there, you want to organize them and make sure they stay in their own spaces. That's kind of like what a coordination cage does, but instead of toys, it holds molecules!

A coordination cage is basically a big structure made up of different molecules (like Lego blocks) that fit together perfectly to create a specific shape. This shape has little spaces inside of it where other molecules can fit in. It's kind of like a house with different rooms inside.

Now, the really cool part is that the molecules that fit into the little spaces inside the coordination cage are often ones that wouldn't normally stick together on their own. But because they're now in the same space created by the cage, they're forced to interact with each other in new ways. This can lead to some interesting chemical reactions!

Scientists are still exploring all the different uses for coordination cages, but one day they could be used to make new kinds of drugs or even store gases like carbon dioxide. Pretty neat, huh?