Guest Binding Drives Host Redistribution in Libraries of CoII4L4 Cages

Two Co^II₄L₄ tetrahedral cages prepared from similar building blocks showed contrasting host–guest properties. One cage did not bind guests, whereas the second encapsulated a series of anions, due to electronic and geometric effects. When the building blocks of both cages were present during self‐assembly, a library of five Co^II L^A _x L^B _4?x cages was formed in a statistical ratio in the absence of guests. Upon incorporation of anions able to interact preferentially with some library members, the products obtained were redistributed in favor of the best anion binders. To quantify the magnitudes of these templation effects, ESI‐MS was used to gauge the effect of each template upon library redistribution.     

Host-guest complexes of a water soluble cucurbit[6]uril derivative with some dications of 1,ω-alkyldipyridines: <Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR and X-ray structures

Interactions between a symmetrical tetramethyl-substituted cucurbit[6]uril (host: TMeQ[6]) and 1,ω-alkylenedipyridine (ω = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) dicationic guests were investigated using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography. In these inclusion complexes, combined cavity and portal binding in TMeQ[6] were observed, and the length of the bridged alkylene was found to play an important role not only in balancing the overall hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction between the host and the guest, but also in defining the structure of the resulting inclusion complexes. For the guest 1,2-ethylenedipyridine (Edpy), TMeQ[6] includes a positively charged pyridine ring of Edpy to form an unsymmetrical inclusion complex; for the guest 1,4-butylenedipyridine (Bdpy), TMeQ[6] includes a positively charged pyridine ring of Bdpy, but the different competitive interactions in and between the related inclusion complexes could lead to a fast exchange between the hosts and guests. For the guests with longer bridge chains, such as 1,6-hexamethylenedipyridine (Hdpy) or 1,8-octylenedipyridine (Odpy), a stable pseudorotaxane inclusion complex is formed by combining the hydrophobic cavity and the outer portal dipole-ion interactions. However, for 1,10-decatylenedipyridine (Ddpy), the two TMeQ[6] host molecules include the two end pyridine rings of Ddpy and form a dumbbell inclusion complex. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20662003 & 20767001), the International Collaborative Project of Guizhou Province (Grant No. 2007400108), the Science Technology Fund of Guizhou Province (Grant No. J-2008-2012) and the Natural Science Youth Foundation of Guizhou University (Grant No. 2007-005)     

Polyorganosiloxane-europium (III) host-guest inclusion system and its energy transfer luminescence

The Eu(III) ion, as a luminescent probe, is incorporated into a novel nanotube-contained polyorganosiloxane (POS), which is obtained by coupling of ladderlike polyvinylsilsesquioxane (Vi-T) with tetramethyldisiloxane (H-MM) via hydrosilylation, to form POS-Eu(III) composite. The results from fluorescent study demonstrate that the composite is actually a host-guest clathrate which includes the Eu(III) ions in the tubelike cavity of POS and moreover, the supramolecular clathrate exhibits an obvious energy transfer process which converts the UV light absorbed by POS into the visible light generated from the Eu(III) luminescence. Molecular simulation also gives support to the formation of such a clathrate and thus results in energy transfer process. Project supponed by the Research Foundation of Molecular Science Center and Director of Institute of Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Foundation of Organic Solid Laboratory, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Oligoamide Foldamers as Helical Chloride Receptors—the Influence of Electron‐Withdrawing Substituents on Anion‐Binding Interactions

The anion‐binding properties of three closely related oligoamide foldamers were studied using NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry and mass spectrometry, as well as DFT calculations. The ¹H NMR spectra of the foldamers in [D₆]acetone solution revealed partial preorganization by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which creates a suitable cavity for anion binding. The limited size of the cavity, however, enabled efficient binding by the inner amide protons only for the chloride anion resulting in the formation of a thermodynamically stable 1:1 complex. All 1:1 chloride complexes displayed a significant favourable contribution of the entropy term. Most likely, this is due to the release of ordered solvent molecules solvating the free foldamer and the anion to the bulk solution upon complex formation. The introduction of electron‐withdrawing substituents in foldamers 2 and 3 had only a slight effect on the thermodynamic constants for chloride binding compared to the parent receptor. Remarkably, the binding of chloride to foldamer 3 not only produced the expected 1:1 complex but also open aggregates with 1:2 (host:anion) stoichiometry.     

The Complexing Abilities of Diethyleneoxy-and Xylene-bridged Cryptophanes with Alkanes

Abstract

The Syn isomers (3b and 4b) of xylene-bridged cryptophane showed selective complexing abilities for 2,2-dimethylbutane, 3-methylpentane, 3,3-di-methylpentane and 3-ethylpentane among the investigated alkanes, although the Anti isomers (3a,4a,5a) did not complex with these alkanes. However, both the Anti-and Syn-isomers (2a and 2b) of the diethyleneoxy-bridged cryptophane showed selective complexing abilities for 2,2-dimethylbutane, 3,3-dimethylpentane, 2,2,3-trimethylbutane and 2,2,3,3-terramethybutane among the investigated alkanes.     

Thermodynamics of inclusion complex formation between 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids and cucurbit[7]uril

The thermodynamics of 1:1 inclusion complex formation between 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium type ionic liquids and cucurbit[7]uril was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry in aqueous solution at 298 K. The encapsulation proved to be enthalpy driven for all cations used. The enthalpy change upon binding (ΔH) became more negative when the 1-alkyl moiety of the imidazolium ring was gradually lengthened reaching the most exothermic association with the hexyl derivative. Further increase of the number of carbon atoms in the aliphatic chain led to less negative ΔH values. The much smaller entropy change followed the trend of ΔH. The slope of the linear enthalpy–entropy correlation found in the present work is significantly smaller than that reported previously for cyclodextrin complexes, because the more rigid CB7 macrocycle cannot undergo significant conformational change upon complexation.     

超分子自由基:构筑、调控与功能

自由基既是新型功能材料的构筑基元,也是常见的反应中间体.调控自由基的活性,具有重要的理论意义和应用价值.为此,我们提出了"超分子自由基"的概念,系指通过非共价作用稳定或活化的自由基.基于葫芦脲的主客体化学,构筑了不同结构的超分子自由基,借助葫芦脲分子的结构特征,从三个方面对自由基的活性进行调控：（1）利用葫芦脲的空间位阻效应和静电效应,稳定自由基阴离子,从而构筑了新型有机近红外光热转换材料,并应用于选择性抗菌;（2）利用葫芦脲的静电效应,活化自由基阳离子,实现了对芬顿氧化反应的显著加速;（3）利用葫芦脲主客体化学的动态可逆性,实现了对反应中间体活性的自适应调控,从而显著地提升了醇氧化反应的催化效率.上述研究表明,构筑简便、活性可调的超分子自由基在功能材料和超分子催化领域具有广阔的应用潜力,未来有望得到进一步的发展.     

Utilization of Donor–Acceptor Interactions for the Catalytic Acceleration of Nucleophilic Additions to Aromatic Carbonyl Compounds

A conceptually new method for the catalytic electrophilic activation of aromatic carbonyl substrates, by utilizing donor–acceptor interactions between an electron‐deficient macrocyclic boronic ester host ( [2+2] _BTH‐F ) and an aromatic carbonyl guest substrate, was realized. In the presence of a catalytic amount of [2+2] _BTH‐F , dramatic acceleration of the nucleophilic addition of a ketene silyl acetal towards either electron‐rich aromatic aldehydes or ketones was achieved. Several control experiments confirmed that inclusion of the aromatic substrates within [2+2] _BTH‐F , through efficient donor–acceptor interactions, is essential for the acceleration of the reaction.     

Host-guest complexation behaviour of emissive calix[3]naphthobipyrrole toward aromatic guests

A new hexapyrrolic macrocycle composed of three naphthobipyrrole units has been synthesized which exhibited different emission changes with hydrogen pyrophosphate and benzoate ions. Phosphate ions caused red shifting of the fluorescence band of calixnaphthobipyrrole while benzoate ions resulted in quenching of the same. The fluorescence quenching was further utilized for investigating binding preferences of the probe with neutral aromatic guest molecules substituted with groups having varied electron withdrawing abilities. The extent of quenching with the neutral guests increased with the increasing electron deficiency on the aromatic ring of the guest. The fluorescence quenching has been ascribed to electron transfer from the host to the guest species.     

Design of supramolecular metal complex catalytic systems for petrochemical and organic synthesis

Specific features of the behavior of the supramolecular metal complex catalysts based on calixarenes, cyclodextrins, and dendrimers in the reactions of hydroformylation, Wacker oxidation, hydroxylation of aromatics, 2-naphthol coupling, and oxidative coupling of styrenes and benzene were studied. The factors affecting the catalytic activity and selectivity are discussed. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 766–778, April, 2008.