Synthesis and self-assembly of supramolecular dendritic "Bow-Ties": effect of peripheral functionality on association constants

Self-assembled polyester dendritic bow-ties with various peripheral groups were prepared, and their association constants were measured by (1)H NMR in CDCl(3). The two complementary dendrons were prepared by attachment of either a bis(adamantylurea) or a glycinylurea to the focal point of the dendron. The parent self-assembled system with benzylidene acetals on one periphery and isopropylidene acetals on the other had an association constant of 520 M(-)(1). Upon deprotection of one dendron, the association constant is increased by more than an order of magnitude as the solubility of the hydroxyl-terminated dendron in CDCl(3) is decreased. In contrast, attachment of tri(ethylene oxide) units to the periphery of one dendron lowers the association constant by almost an order of magnitude. The causes of these relatively large changes in complex strength are discussed in terms of solubility, steric effects, competitive hydrogen bonding, and the structure of the dendritic scaffold.     

The molecular basis of self-assembly of dendron-rod-coils into one-dimensional nanostructures

We describe here a comprehensive study of solution and solid-state properties of self-assembling triblock molecules composed of a hydrophilic dendron covalently linked to an aromatic rigid rod segment, which is in turn connected to a hydrophobic flexible coil. These dendron-rod-coil (DRC) molecules form well-defined supramolecular structures that possess a ribbonlike morphology as revealed by transmission-electron and atomic-force microscopy. In a large variety of aprotic solvents, the DRC ribbons create stable networks that form gels at concentrations as low as 0.2% by weight DRC. The gels are thermally irreversible and do not melt at elevated temperatures, indicating high stability as a result of strong noncovalent interactions among DRC molecules. NMR experiments show that the strong interactions leading to aggregation involve mainly the dendron and rodlike blocks, whereas oligoisoprene coil segments remain solvated after gelation. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) profiles of different DRC molecules demonstrate an excellent correlation between the degree-of-order in the solid-state and the stability of gels. Studies on two series of analogous molecules suggest that self-assembly is very sensitive to subtle structural changes and requires the presence of at least four hydroxyl groups in the dendron, two biphenyl units in the rod, and a coil segment with a size comparable to that of the rodlike block. A detailed analysis of crystal structures of model compounds revealed the formation of stable one-dimensional structures that involve two types of noncovalent interactions, aromatic pi-pi stacking and hydrogen bonding. Most importantly, the crystal structure of the rod-dendron compound shows that hydrogen bonding not only drives the formation of head-to-head cyclic structures, but also generates multiple linkages between them along the stacking direction. The cyclic structures are tetrameric in nature and stack into ribbonlike objects. We believe that DRC molecules utilize the same arrangement of hydrogen bonds and stacking of aromatic blocks observed in the crystals, explaining the exceptional stability of the nanostructures in extremely dilute solutions as well the thermal stability of the gels they form. This study provides mechanistic insights on self-assembly of triblock molecules, and unveils general strategies to create well-defined one-dimensional supramolecular objects.     

Supramolecular polymer chemistry: self-assembling dendrimers using the DDA.AAD (GC-like) hydrogen bonding motif

Heterocyclic unit 2 containing complementary donor-donor-acceptor (DDA) and acceptor-acceptor-donor (AAD) hydrogen bonding arrays at an angle of about 60 degrees was designed to self-assemble into a hexamer. To investigate whether this unit could self-assemble dendrimers, the 2,8-diamino-2-N-ethylpyrimido-(4,5-b)(1,8)naphthyridine-3H-4-one subunit was synthesized with a first (2a), second (2b), and third generation (2c) Fréchet-type dendron attached to the 8-amino group. The synthesis of 2a-c was accomplished in 11 steps beginning with 2,6-diaminopyridine and the corresponding dendron bromide. Studies using (1)H NMR, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) support the cooperative formation of cyclic hexamers in apolar solvents. The stability of the self-assembled dendrimers is dependent on the size of the attached dendron, and mixing studies with 2a-c indicate their usefulness in constructing dynamic combinatorial libraries.     

A new series of dendrimers containing two ferrocenyl units and a Fréchet dendron around a triazine nucleus

The preparation and characterization of a new series of dendrimers containing two identical aminoferrocenyl units and a Fréchet dendron around a triazine nucleus is described. A sizable degree of electronic communication between the two redox active ferrocenyl residues was detected in dichloromethane solution containing tetrabutylammonium tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate as the supporting electrolyte. Binding of glutarimide via hydrogen bonding interactions to all the dendrimers was easily detected by using (1)H NMR spectroscopic and voltammetric techniques.     

两亲嵌段树枝状分子Gx-PBE-b-Gx-PMPA(OH)x2的合成及多重氢键作用

合成了1~3代的嵌段树枝状分子聚苄醚-聚脂肪酯(Gx-PBE-b-Gx-PMPA, x=1,2,3)和两亲嵌段树枝状分子聚苄醚-周边含羟基的聚脂肪酯[Gx-PBE-b-Gx-PMPA(OH)x2, x=1,2,3]. PMPA(OH)x2-树枝片(Dendron)段周边的羟基数目分别是2, 4和8. 通过1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR和基质辅助激光解吸附电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF)(或场解析电离质谱)技术表征了Gx-PBE-b-Gx-PMPA和Gx-PBE-b-Gx-PMPA(OH)x2的结构. 同时, 采用变温FTIR光谱研究了在两亲嵌段树枝状分子中形成的氢键模式. 结果表明, 随着树枝片代数的增加, 两亲嵌段树枝状分子内趋向于形成作用较弱的分子内氢键, 说明形成3代两亲嵌段树枝状分子的三维结构削弱了羟基形成分子间氢键的能力.     

A molecular dynamics study of ethanol-water hydrogen bonding in binary structure I clathrate hydrate with CO2

Guest-host hydrogen bonding in clathrate hydrates occurs when in addition to the hydrophilic moiety which causes the molecule to form hydrates under high pressure-low temperature conditions, the guests contain a hydrophilic, hydrogen bonding functional group. In the presence of carbon dioxide, ethanol clathrate hydrate has been synthesized with 10% of large structure I (sI) cages occupied by ethanol. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study hydrogen bonding structure and dynamics in this binary sI clathrate hydrate in the temperature range of 100-250 K. We observe that ethanol forms long-lived (>500 ps) proton-donating and accepting hydrogen bonds with cage water molecules from both hexagonal and pentagonal faces of the large cages while maintaining the general cage integrity of the sI clathrate hydrate. The presence of the nondipolar CO(2) molecules stabilizes the hydrate phase, despite the strong and prevalent alcohol-water hydrogen bonding. The distortions of the large cages from the ideal form, the radial distribution functions of the guest-host interactions, and the ethanol guest dynamics are characterized in this study. In previous work through dielectric and NMR relaxation time studies, single crystal x-ray diffraction, and molecular dynamics simulations we have observed guest-water hydrogen bonding in structure II and structure H clathrate hydrates. The present work extends the observation of hydrogen bonding to structure I hydrates.     

Hydrogen-bonded dendronized polymers and their self-assembly in solution

Frechet-type benzyl ether dendrons of second and third generations with a carboxyl group (G2, G3) at the apex site could attach to poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP), forming hydrogen-bonded dendronized polymers (HB denpols) in their common solvent, chloroform. The HB denpols show unique self-assembly behavior, forming vesicles in the common solvent under ultrasonic treatment. The structure and morphology of the vesicles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), SEM, TEM, and AFM. The size of the vesicles decreases and the thickness of the vascular membrane increases as the molar ratio of Gx/PVP increases. The hydrogen bonding, pi-pi aromatic stacking of the dendrons, and the considerable difference in architecture between the dendron Gx and PVP are the main factors facilitating the assembly of the HB denpols in the common solvent.     

(S,S)‐4′′‐Cyano‐7,7′′‐dimethoxy‐3′,6′‐dioxodispiro[indane‐2,2′‐piperazine‐5′,2′′‐indane]‐4‐carboxamide methanol solvate: interrupting the amide‐to‐amide hydrogen‐bonded tape

The title methanol solvate, C₂₄H₂₂N₄O₅·CH₃OH, forms an extended three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded structure, assisted by the presence of several good donor and acceptor sites. It shows none of the crystal packing features typically expected of piperazinediones, such as amide‐to‐amide R₂²(8) hydrogen bonding. In this structure the methanol solvent appears to play only a space‐filling role; it is not involved in any hydrogen bonding and instead is disordered over several sites. This study reports, to the best of our knowledge, the first crystal structure of an indane‐containing piperazinedione compound which exhibits a three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded structure formed by classical (N—H...O and N—H...N) hydrogen‐bonding interactions.     

Structures for monodisperse oligoamides. A novel structure for unfolded three-amide nylon 6 and relationship with a three-amide nylon 6 6

Three-amide oligomers of nylon 6 and nylon 6 6 have been investigated using electron microscopy (imaging and diffraction), X-ray diffraction, and computational modeling. A new crystal structure has been discovered for the three-amide oligomer of nylon 6. This material crystallizes from chloroform/dodecane solutions into an unfolded crystal form that has progressively sheared hydrogen bonding in two directions between polar (unidirectional) chains. This structure is quite different from the usual room temperature α-phase structure of chain-folded nylon 6 crystals, in which alternatingly sheared hydrogen bonding occurs between chains of opposite polarity in only one direction. The occurrence of this new structure illustrates the extent to which progressively sheared hydrogen bonding is preferred over alternatingly sheared hydrogen bonding. Indeed, the progressive hydrogen bonding scheme occurs in the three-amide nylon 6 material even though it requires a disruption to the lowest potential energy all-trans conformation of the chain backbone, and requires all the chains in each hydrogen-bonded layer to be aligned in the same direction. We believe the presence of chain folding, which necessarily incorporates adjacent chains of opposite polarity into the crystal structure, prevents the formation of this new crystal structure in the nylon 6 polymer. In contrast, the three-amide nylon 6 6 crystal structure is analogous to the polymeric nylon 6 6 α-phase structure, found in both fibers and chain-folded crystals, and consists of progressive hydrogen-bonded sheets which stack with a progressive shear. In both structures, the molecules (≈ 3 nm in length) form smectic C-like layers with well-orchestrated stacking of 2.2 nm to form a three-dimensional crystal. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 2849–2863, 1998     

‘Locking’ dendrimer conformation through metal coordination

Chiral intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded dendrons that fold into a dynamically biased helical conformation can be ‘locked’ in kinetically controlled conformations by coordination to copper(II) metal centers. Covalent bonding of each pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide repeat unit of the dendrons to a copper metal center forces this subunit to exist in only the syn-syn conformation and dramatically rigidifies the dendron structure.     

A study of the electronic structure of octavinylsilsesquioxane and dendron with chromium based compounds by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical modeling in the DFT approximation

The electronic structure and some features of octavinylsilsesquioxane interaction with sulfene chloride chromium acetylacetonate complex were studied by means of XPS and DFT. According to XPS, spectrum lines have close positions for all the studied compounds, half-width for dendrons not exceeding 2 eV. For octavinylsilsesquioxane, the broader lines appear due to the action of substrate atoms. Chemical composition of a dendron was determined by analyzing the concentrations of atoms in different chemical states and a residual content of chlorine atoms. Chemical bonding between the complex and octavinylsilsesquioxane is provided by the covalent interaction of carbon and sulfur atoms.     

Thiourea Based Tweezer Anion Receptors for Selective Sensing of Fluoride Ions

Three 3,3＇-di（4-substituted-phenyl）-1,1＇-isophthaloylbis（thiourea） compounds were designed as novel neutral anion receptors, and synthesized by simple steps in good yields. The single crystal structure of receptor 1 shows that a solvent molecule was captured by the host molecule through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Moreover, it was self-assembled as a supramolecular system for the presence of abundant inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions between phenyl groups. Their application as anion receptors has been examined by UV-Vis and ^1H NMR spectroscopy, showing that they had a higher selectivity for fluoride than other halides. The host and guest formed a 1 ： 1 stoichiometry complex through hydrogen bonding interactions in the first step, then following a process of deprotonation in presence of an excess of F^- in the solvent of DMF.     

Microsolvation of DMSO: Density functional study on the structure and polaraizabilities

The structure and stability for the association of water with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) are investigated using the density functional M06‐2X level theory. Stable complexes are formed by the formation of hydrogen bonding between water and oxygen atom of DMSO molecule, while the electrostatic force between water and DMSO plays a vital role in deciding the structure. The water‐DMSO interactions are stronger than the interwater hydrogen bonds, which can be inferred from the shorter DMSO‐water bond distance compared with the water–water bond distance. The calculated solvent association energy does not saturate, and it remains favorable to attach additional water molecules to the existing water network. The calculated IR spectra shifts supports the formation stronger hydrogen bonding, while the electrostatic potential (ESP) plot supports the existence of weaker electrostatic interaction in the studied clusters. The polarizabilities for the ground state clusters were found to increase monotonically with the cluster size. The presence of additional electrostatic bonding between water and DMSO, devastates the linear hydrogen‐bonding network. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Nonequilibrium 2-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid monolayers: effect of electrolytes

2-Hydroxyacids display complex monolayer phase behavior due to the additional hydrogen bonding afforded by the presence of the second hydroxy group. The placement of this group at the position α to the carboxylic acid functionality also introduces the possibility of chelation, a utility important in crystallization including biomineralization. Biomineralization, like many biological processes, is inherently a nonequilibrium process. The nonequilibrium monolayer phase behavior of 2-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid was investigated on each of pure water, calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate crystallizing subphases as a precursor study to a model calcium carbonate biomineralizing system, each at a pH of ～6. The role of the bicarbonate co-ion in manipulating the monolayer structure was determined by comparison with monolayer phase behavior on a sodium chloride subphase. Monolayer phase behavior was probed using surface pressure/area isotherms, surface potential, Brewster angle microscopy, and synchrotron-based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity. Complex phase behavior was observed for all but the sodium chloride subphase with hydrogen bonding, electrostatic and steric effects defining the symmetry of the monolayer. On a pure water subphase hydrogen bonding dominates with three phases coexisting at low pressures. Introduction of calcium ions into the aqueous subphase ensures strong cation binding to the surfactant head groups through chelation. The monolayer becomes very unstable in the presence of bicarbonate ions within the subphase due to short-range hydrogen bonding interactions between the monolayer and bicarbonate ions facilitated by the sodium cation enhancing surfactant solubility. The combined effects of electrostatics and hydrogen bonding are observed on the calcium carbonate crystallizing subphase.     

Probing the Hydrogen Bonding Structure in the Rieske Protein

The use of the far‐infrared spectral range presents a novel approach for analysis of the hydrogen bonding in proteins. Here it is presented for the analysis of Fe? S vibrations (500–200 cm^?1) and of the intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen bonding signature (300–50 cm^?1) in the Rieske protein from Thermus thermophilus as a function of temperature and pH. Three pH values were adequately chosen in order to study all the possible protonation states of the coordinating histidines. The Fe? S vibrations showed pH‐dependent shifts in the FIR spectra in line with the change of protonation state of the histidines coordinating the [2Fe? 2S] cluster. Measurements of the low‐frequency signals between 300 and 30 K demonstrated the presence of a distinct overall hydrogen bonding network and a more rigid structure for a pH higher than 10. To further support the analysis, the redox‐dependent shifts of the secondary structure were investigated by means of an electrochemically induced FTIR difference spectroscopic approach in the mid infrared. The results confirmed a clear pH dependency and an influence of the immediate environment of the cluster on the secondary structure. The results support the hypothesis that structure‐mediated changes in the environment of iron? sulfur centers play a critical role in regulating enzymatic catalysis. The data point towards the role of the overall internal hydrogen bonding organization for the geometry and the electronic properties of the cluster.     

Hydrogen bonding effects on the surface structure and photoelectrochemical properties of nanostructured SnO2 electrodes modified with porphyrin and fullerene composites

Hydrogen bonding effects on surface structure, photophysical properties, and photoelectrochemistry have been examined in a mixed film of porphyrin and fullerene composites with and without hydrogen bonding on indium tin oxide and nanostructured SnO2 electrodes. The nanostructured SnO2 electrodes modified with the mixed films of porphyrin and fullerene composites with hydrogen bonding exhibited efficient photocurrent generation compared to the reference systems without hydrogen bonding. Atomic force microscopy, infrared reflection absorption, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopies and time-resolved fluorescence lifetime and transient absorption spectroscopic measurements disclosed the relationship between the surface structure and photophysical and photoelectrochemical properties relating to the formation of hydrogen bonding between the porphyrins and/or the C60 moieties in the films on the electrode surface. These results show that hydrogen bonding is a highly promising methodology for the fabrication of donor and acceptor composites on nanostructured semiconducting electrodes, which exhibit high photoelectrochemical properties.     

Dependence of amide vibrations on hydrogen bonding

The effect of hydrogen bonding on the amide group vibrational spectra has traditionally been rationalized by invoking a resonance model where hydrogen bonding impacts the amide functional group by stabilizing its [(-)O-C=NH (+)] structure over the [O=C-NH] structure. However, Triggs and Valentini's UV-Raman study of solvation and hydrogen bonding effects on epsilon-caprolactum, N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), and N-methylacetamide (NMA) ( Triggs, N. E.; Valentini, J. J. J. Phys. Chem. 1992, 96, 6922-6931) casts doubt on the validity of this model by demonstrating that, contrary to the resonance model prediction, carbonyl hydrogen bonding does not impact the AmII' frequency of DMA. In this study, we utilize density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine the impact of hydrogen bonding on the C=O and N-H functional groups of NMA, which is typically used as a simple model of the peptide bond. Our calculations indicate that, as expected, the hydrogen bonding frequency dependence of the AmI vibration predominantly derives from the C=O group, whereas the hydrogen bonding frequency dependence of the AmII vibration primarily derives from N-H hydrogen bonding. In contrast, the hydrogen bonding dependence of the conformation-sensitive AmIII band derives equally from both C=O and N-H groups and thus, is equally responsive to hydrogen bonding at the C=O or N-H site. Our work shows that a clear understanding of the normal mode composition of the amide vibrations is crucial for an accurate interpretation of the hydrogen bonding dependence of amide vibrational frequencies.     

Hydrophobic hydration in an orientational lattice model

To shed light on the microscopic mechanism of hydrophobic hydration, we study a simplified lattice model for water solutions in which the orientational nature of hydrogen bonding as well as the degeneracy related to proton distribution are taken into account. Miscibility properties of the model are looked at for both polar (hydrogen bonding) and nonpolar (non-hydrogen bonding) solutes. A quasichemical solution for the pure system is reviewed and extended to include the different kinds of solute. A Monte Carlo study of our model yields a novel feature for the local structure of the hydration layer: energy correlation relaxation times for solvation water are larger than the corresponding relaxation times for bulk water. This result suggests the presence of ordering of water particles in the first hydration shell. A nonassociating model solvent, represented by a lattice gas, presents opposite behavior, indicating that this effect is a result of the directionality of the interaction. In presence of polar solutes, we find an ordered mixed pseudophase at low temperatures, indicating the possibility of closed loops of immiscibility.     

Iodide‐Induced Shuttling of a Halogen‐ and Hydrogen‐Bonding Two‐Station Rotaxane

The first example of utilizing halogen‐bonding anion recognition to facilitate molecular motion in an interlocked structure is described. A halogen‐bonding and hydrogen‐bonding bistable rotaxane is prepared and demonstrated to undergo shuttling of the macrocycle component from the hydrogen‐bonding station to the halogen‐bonding station upon iodide recognition. In contrast, chloride‐anion binding reinforces the macrocycle to reside at the hydrogen‐bonding station.