A theoretical study of cohesion, structural deformation, inclusion, and dynamics in porous hydrogen-bonded molecular networks

Molecules with multiple sites of hydrogen bonding attached to suitable cores tend to crystallize as open networks. The resulting crystals can have the following unusual properties: They can include significant amounts of guest molecules; the guests are typically located in channels and can be exchanged without loss of crystallinity; and the geometry of the networks can change in response to new guests. We have found that DFT calculations can provide accurate simulations of the unusual structure and properties of such materials, represented by crystals of prototypic tetrapyridinone 1. These calculations have yielded three key insights that cannot be obtained directly from experiments. (1) The hypothetical porous network obtained by removing guests from crystals of compound 1 is highly flexible, and its deformations are inherently anisotropic, leading to lengthening or shortening of the channels along the c axis and no significant changes along the a and b axes. (2) Quantitative analysis of the total cohesive energy has revealed that hydrogen bonding within the network makes a dominant contribution, along with interactions of guests with the network. (3) Differences in the overall stability of crystals of compound 1 as the guests are varied do not arise primarily from significant changes in the cohesive energy of the network itself; instead, differences in guest-guest interactions play a key role, resulting from the nature of the guests and constraints imposed by the surrounding network. These insights, together with the results of ab initio molecular dynamics, help explain how hydrogen-bonded networks can be robust yet permit molecular movement that underlies the exchange of guests and adaptive porosity. These insights promise to be of general value to scientists studying ordered molecular materials in which strong directional interactions are prominent.     

Solvent and guest isotope effects on complexation thermodynamics of alpha-, beta-, and 6-amino-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrins

The stability constant (K), standard free energy (DeltaG degrees ), enthalpy (DeltaH degrees ), and entropy changes (TDeltaS degrees ) for the complexation of native alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins (CDs) and 6-amino-6-deoxy-beta-CD with more than 30 neutral, positively, and negatively charged guests, including seven fully or partially deuterated guests, have been determined in phosphate buffer solutions (pH/pD 6.9) of hydrogen oxide (H(2)O) or deuterium oxide (D(2)O) at 298.15 K by titration microcalorimetry. Upon complexation with these native and modified CDs, both nondeuterated and deuterated guests examined consistently exhibited higher affinities (by 5-20%) in D(2)O than in H(2)O. The quantitative affinity enhancement in D(2)O versus H(2)O directly correlates with the size and strength of the hydration shell around the charged/hydrophilic group of the guest. For that reason, negatively/positively charged guests, possessing a relatively large and strong hydration shell, afford smaller K(H2O)/K(D2O) ratios than those for neutral guests with a smaller and weaker hydration shell. Deuterated guests showed lower affinities (by 5-15%) than the relevant nondeuterated guests in both H(2)O and D(2)O, which is most likely ascribed to the lower ability of the C-D bond to produce induced dipoles and thus the reduced intracavity van der Waals interactions. The excellent enthalpy-entropy correlation obtained can be taken as evidence for the very limited conformational changes upon transfer of CD complexes from H(2)O to D(2)O.     

Encapsulation of sodium nimesulide and precursors in beta-cyclodextrin

Crystalline 1:1 inclusion complexes with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and the sodium salt of nimesulide (4-nitro-2-phenoxymethanesulfonanilide), and the sodium salt of the derivative 2-phenoxymethanesulfonanilide, have been prepared by co-precipitation from aqueous solution. The presence of true inclusion complexes was supported by elemental analysis, thermogravimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. FTIR and 13C CP MAS NMR spectroscopy confirmed that no chemical modification of the guests occurred upon formation of inclusion complexes. The reaction of the precursors 2-phenoxynitrobenzene and 2-phenoxyaniline with beta-CD was also studied and crystalline inclusion complexes with a 2:1 (host-to-guest) stoichiometry were isolated. The interaction of the different guest species with beta-CD host molecules was studied theoretically by carrying out ab initio calculations. Favourable inclusion geometries were obtained for the four guests mentioned above. On the other hand, it was found that the inclusion of the neutral guests nimesulide and 2-phenoxymethanesulfonanilide was considerably less favourable. This is in agreement with the experimentally observed difficulty in isolating true inclusion complexes containing these guests and beta-CD. The calculated lower stability is attributed to the different steric hindrance arising from the different conformational preferences of neutral and anionic forms.     

β-环糊精及其衍生物对脂肪族手性对映体及有机染料的分子识别研究

在25℃用荧光和紫外光谱滴定法分别测定了β-环糊精(β-CD)、2,3,6-三[氧-(2-羟基丙基)]-β-环糊精(HP-β-CD)及2,3,6-三(甲氧基)-β-环糊精(MO-β-CD)与6种脂肪族手性客体和4种染料分子形成超分子配合物的稳定常数.结果表明,多种弱相互作用协同贡献于主-客体的包结配位过程.环糊精衍生物中取代基的疏水性和链长影响主体的配位能力,客体与环糊精间的尺寸适合及疏水相互作用决定其配合物的稳定性.在配位过程中,氢键作用也是影响主体环糊精键合行为的重要因素.     

Thermodynamic analysis of receptors based on guanidinium/boronic acid groups for the complexation of carboxylates, alpha-hydroxycarboxylates, and diols: driving force for binding and cooperativity

The thermodynamics of guanidinium and boronic acid interactions with carboxylates, alpha-hydroxycarboxylates, and diols were studied by determination of the binding constants of a variety of different guests to four different hosts (7-10). Each host contains a different combination of guanidinium groups and boronic acids. The guests included molecules with carboxylate and/or diol moieties, such as citrate, tartrate, and fructose, among others. The Gibbs free energies of binding were determined by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, by use of indicator displacement assays. The receptor based on three guanidinium groups (7) was selective for the tricarboxylate guest. The receptors that incorporated boronic acids (8-10) had higher affinities for guests that included alpha-hydroxycarboxylate and catechol moieties over guests containing only carboxylates or alkanediols. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the Gibbs free energies of binding. The binding of citrate and tartrate was investigated with hosts 7-10, for which all the binding events were exothermic, with positive entropy. Because of the selectivity of hosts 8-10, a simple boronic acid (14) was also investigated and determined to be selective for alpha-hydroxycarboxylates and catechols over amino acids and alkanediols. Further, the cooperativity of 8 and 9 in binding tartrate was also investigated, revealing little or no cooperativity with 8, but negative cooperativity with 9. A linear entropy/enthalpy compensation relationship for all the hosts 7-10, 14, and the carboxylate-/diol-containing guests was also obtained. This relationship indicates that increasing enthalpy of binding is offset by similar losses in entropy for molecular recognition involving guanidinium and boronic acid groups.     

Synthesis, characterization and molecular recognition of a bis-platinum terpyridine dimer

A novel bis-platinum(II) terpyridine-based macrocycle has been quantitatively obtained by self-assembly; the Pt(II) host binds neutral planar and electron-rich aromatic guests with good selectivity in DMSO.     

An Antitumor Dual-Responsive Host-Guest Supramolecular Polymer Based on Hypoxia-Cleavable Azocalix[4]arene

The exploitation of specific guests which can respond to external stimuli is the main approach for the construction of stimuli-responsive supramolecular polymers (SPs) based on host–guest interactions. Most functional guests, however, fail to manifest stimuli-responses. Herein, a hypoxia-responsive dimeric azocalixarene (D-SAC4A) with outstanding hosting properties was used as the macrocyclic building block for the preparation of host stimuli-responsive SPs. Since azocalixarenes can also be compatible with stimuli-responsive guests, an antitumor drug, camptothecin (CPT), was chosen and linked via a disulfide-containing linker to afford a glutathione (GSH)-responsive ditropic guest (D-CPT). A unique dual-responsive SP was obtained by 1 : 1 mixing of D-SAC4A and D-CPT in water, which further assembled into SP nanoparticles (DSPNs). DSPNs displayed outstanding stability against dilution and biological interferants, as well as precise CPT-release under GSH and hypoxia conditions. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated the good biosafety and tumor-suppressive effects of DSPNs.     

Predicting conformations and orientations of guests within a water soluble host: a molecular docking approach

In this study we have examined conformations and orientations of guests within a water-soluble host known by the trivial name Octa Acid (OA). Docking program Vina, which was originally developed for screening drug-like molecules, has been used to identify binding modes and affinities of select guest molecules with OA. Hydrophobic guests were encapsulated into the nonpolar cavity of OA capsule owing to solvophobic interactions. Amphiphilic guests were bound by keeping the nonpolar part within the cavity of OA, while pointing the polar anionic group out of the cavity. All these results obtained from the docking study were in accord with experimental findings. The post-complexation attributes of the guests were regulated by available free space and the specific interactions between guest–OA pair, which led to unusual conformations and orientations. This study showed that scoring function available with Vina, which was derived from protein–ligand data set, could successfully predict post-complexed structural features of guests within OA, thus opening opportunities to modulate physical and chemical behavior of guest molecules.     

Studies on inclusion complexes of calix[4]arenes capped by diamide bridges with small organic molecules

The inclusion of small neutral organic guests (acetonitrile, toluene, pyrazine, butylamine, nitromethane) by cyclic calix[4]arene diamide receptors was studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The binding constants determined by (1)H NMR titration, and the results obtained by T(1) relaxation measurements and DOSY confirm the importance of the acidity of the C-H bond of the guests and highlight the role of steric interactions including conformational properties of the receptors in the recognition process.     

The first example of a crystalline guest-free form of the tris(5-acetyl-3-thienyl)methane (TATM) host material

The first example of a guest-free crystalline form of tris(5-acetyl-3-thienyl)methane (TATM), in both powder and single crystal form, was obtained by leaching water-soluble guests out of the guest-host inclusion compounds with acetone, ethanol and methanol.     

Structure-property relationship for clathrates formed in systems with guest vapor and 1,3-disubstituted <Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butylcalix[4]arene

Structure-property relationship was studied for a series of clathrates formed in the systems that model guest-host interactions on the surface of chemical odor sensors of quartz microbalance type. The clathrates of 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-bis(2-naphthylmethoxy)calix[4]arene (1) obtained by the saturation of its powder with gaseous organic compounds (guests) with the unity thermodynamic activity at 298 K were studied. The stoichiometry and temperature at the starting and ending points of thermal dissociation were determined for all the clathrates and stable intermediates by thermal gravimetric analysis. A sorption isotherm was determined for one guest-host combination; it indicates the formation of a stable clathrate in the system and phase transition of host upon reacting with guest. Decrease in thermal stability of the clathrates of 1 with guests of greater size was observed for studied pairs of homologous guests.     

Trapping of bulky guests inside dimeric molecular capsules formed by a deep-cavity cavitand

The inclusion of three bulky guests, adamantyl(ferrocenylmethyl)amine (2), adamantylferrocenecarboxylamide (3), and 1,1'-bis(adamantylaminomethyl)ferrocene (4), inside dimeric molecular capsules formed by an octaacid deep-cavity cavitand (1) was investigated using (1)H NMR spectroscopy and voltammetric techniques. Guests 2 and 3 were encapsulated inside 1(2) assemblies, as evidenced by (1)H NMR spectroscopic data. Although both guests are electroactive, the supramolecular complexes 2@1(2) and 3@1(2) showed no voltammetric current responses in the potential window corresponding to the electrochemical oxidation of their ferrocenyl groups. In contrast, each of the adamantyl ends of compound 4 is bound by the cavitand 1, but the central ferrocene residue was not fully encapsulated in this supramolecular assembly and the voltammetric behavior of 4·1(2) was clearly detected. In marked contrast with the experimental results obtained with guests 2 and 3, we could not obtain any evidence for the simultaneous encapsulation of free ferrocene and adamantane inside the 1(2) capsular assembly.     

Encapsulation of Cyano(cyclopentadienyl) Complexes of Iron with β-cyclodextrin

Inclusion compounds have been prepared comprising g -cyclodextrin (CD) molecules as the host and half-sandwich cyano complexes of iron as the guests. High yields of crystalline one-to-one adducts were obtained by treatment of CpFe(CO) 2 CN and K[CpFe(CO)(CN) 2 ] with g -CD. In the case of CpFe(dppe)CN [dppe=bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane], a non-stoichiometric product is obtained and it is evident that the organometallic guests are easily liberated from the host cavities. The products were characterized in the solid-state by elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR and CP MAS NMR ( 13 C, 31 P) spectroscopy. Additional information concerning the possible structure of the inclusion compounds was obtained from ab initio calculations using a two-layer approximation. The best organometallic- g -CD interaction is obtained with deep inclusion of the cyclopentadienyl ring, a geometry that is not possible in the case of the CpFe(dppe)CN system due to the size and orientation of the dppe ligand.     

Competitive interactions of two ion-paired salts with a neutral host to form two non-ion-paired complexes

It is demonstrated that our reported equilibrium treatments that take into account ion-paired guest and non-ion-paired complexes can be applied to competitive complexations. Satisfactory results were obtained for a system with two cationic guests [N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-biyridinium bis(hexafluorophosphate) (1) and dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate (2)] having a common counterion and a single neutral host dibenzo-24-crown-8 (3), even though for this system one exchange process is slow and the other fast on the 1H NMR time scale. The competitive complexation protocol presented here provides a convenient method for the determination of KapKipd (the product of the ion-pair dissociation constant of the guest salt and the association constant for the host with the resultant free cation) for new systems from ion-paired guests that form complexes that are not ion paired.     

Cycloalkane and alicyclic heterocycle complexation by new switchable resorcin[4]arene-based container molecules: NMR and ITC binding studies

The synthesis and structural characterization of novel, "molecular basket"-type bridged cavitands is reported. The resorcin[4]arene-based container molecules feature well-defined cavities that bind a wide variety of cycloalkanes and alicyclic heterocycles. Association constants (K(a)) of the 1:1 inclusion complexes were determined by both (1)H NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The obtained K(a) values in mesitylene ranged from 1.7×10(2) M(-1) for cycloheptane up to 1.7×10(7) M(-1) for morpholine. Host-guest complexation by the molecular baskets is generally driven by dispersion interactions, C-H···π interactions of the guests with the aromatic walls of the cavity, and optimal cavity filling. Correlations between NMR-based structural data and binding affinities support that the complexed heterocyclic guests undergo additional polar C-O···C=O, N-H···π, and S···π interactions. The first crystal structure of a cavitand-based molecular basket is reported, providing precise information on the geometry and volume of the inner cavity in the solid state. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations provided information on the size and conformational preorganization of the cavity in the presence of encapsulated guests. The strongest binding of heterocyclic guests, engaging in polar interactions with the host, was observed at a cavity filling volume of 63 ± 9%.     

Characterization of self-assembled supramolecular [Ga4L6] host-guest complexes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Self-assembled supramolecular host-guest complexes have been characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The spectra obtained by use of a Q-TOF instrument equipped with a Z-spray ion source show primarily the 3- and 4- charge states of the assemblies. The assemblies have the general formula [guest subset Ga4L6]11- where L represents the chelating bidentate catechol ligand 1,5-bis(2',3'-dihydroxy-benzamido)naphthalene and guests are tetramethyl ammonium (Me4N+), tetraethyl ammonium (Et4N+), tetra-n-propyl ammonium (Pr4N+) and decamethylcobaltocenium (Cp*2Co+) cations. For the first time, the mass spectrum of the empty assembly [Ga4L6]12- is reported. This article also reports that provided the electrospray ion source is capable of preserving noncovalent interactions, it is possible to observe host-guest complexes containing both weak binding guests as well as sterically demanding guests in the mass spectra. The present data suggest that electrospray mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for characterization of supramolecular host-guest complexes.     

超分子结构水杨酸根插层水滑石的组装及结构与性能研究

以锌铝水滑石ZnAl-CO3 LDHs为前体（主体），以乙二醇为分散介质，用离子 交换法组装了水杨酸根（客体）插层水滑石ZnAl-[o-HO(C6H4)COO]LDHs，并用XRD ，FT-IR，TG-DTA等手段对样品进行了表征。结果表明，能过控制离子交换条件， 水杨酸根阴离子可取代锌铝水滑石前体层间的CO3^2-离子，组装得到晶体结构良好 的水杨酸根插层水滑石。通过研究发现，主体水滑石层板与客体以静电力和氢键相 互作用，得到的超分子结构材料紫外阻隔作用增强并具有较好的稳定性，从而成为 一种集屏蔽和吸收双重功能的新型无机-有机得合紫外阻隔材料。     

Estimation of the Free Energy of the Supramolecular Effect on Host–Guest Complex Formation between Solid tert}-Butylcalix[4]arene and Vapors of Organic Compounds

The free energy of the supramolecular effect was estimated by the difference of the free energy of the solid host-guest complex formation between the vapor guest and the solid tert-butylcalix[4]arene ( 1) and the free energy of the guest solvation in toluene. These thermodynamic parameters were obtained from the vapor sorption isotherms of the guests with various molecular structure by solid 1 and limiting activity coefficients of the guests in toluene determined by headspace gas chromatographic analysis. The supramolecular effect was found to decrease slightly with the increase of the guest molecular size.     

Molecular recognition of cyclodecapeptides to ibuprofen and naproxen enantiomers: a theoretical study

Cyclopeptide derivatives have attracted great interest in host-guest chemistry during the past decades. In this work, four cyclopeptides including one cyclodecapeptide (CDP) and three modified CDPs (M-CDP involves I-CDP, E-CDP, and H-CDP) are adopted as hosts to differentiate the four guests of the amphetamine (AP) and ibuprofen (IP) enantiomers using a proposed integrated computation protocol. The obtained results demonstrated that the guests of AP and IP enantiomers could be recognized by different cyclopeptides using the certain optimized quantum chemistry methods. Specifically, the AP or IP enantiomers might be identified by the corresponding cyclopepitdes in the five pairs of the inclusion complexes associated with the large differences of binding energies of hosts with guests, that is, the two of H-CDP/AP and H-CDP/IP by B3LYP, the two of I-CDP/IP and H-CDP/IP by CAM-B3LYP, and the other one of I-CDP/IP by M06-2X, which are mainly determined by their corresponding stable conformations, electronic properties, and favorable interactions. The intermolecular hydrogen bonds and NBO analyses of the inclusion complexes further suggest the corresponding differences of binding energies. The visual nonbonded weak interactions for the studied systems gave the reasons why the AP and IP enantiomers are identified by the corresponding cyclopeptides. Molecular dynamics simulated results further support the above conclusions. The investigation provides detailed information at a molecular level about the recognition of the two chiral drug molecules by the four cyclodecapeptides. The integrated computation protocol proposed in this work provides people a feasible way to study interaction of hosts and guests, molecular recognition, and chiral separation.