Construction of Pseudorotaxanes and Rotaxanes Based on Cucurbit[n]uril

¹H-NMR spectroscopic analysis indicates that cucurbit[7]uril can form a stable inclusion complex with 1,6-hexanediamine, while cucurbit[5]uril cannot form pseudorotaxane with 1,6-hexanediamine under our experimental conditions. This was confirmed by the crystal structure of the complex. The cavity of cucurbit[8]uril seems to be large for binding 1,6-hexanediamine efficiently. And a simple, mild, high-yield (>80%) method has been described for the synthesis of rotaxanes through the self-assembly of pseudorotaxanes of cucurbit[n]uril (n=6, 7)/1, 6-hexanediamine and sodium tetraphenylborate. The obtained rotaxanes are held intact solely by noncovalent interactions, and are characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H-NMR, ESI-MS and MALDI-TOF MS.     

六元瓜环与磺基水杨酸主客体配合物的晶体结构

合成了六元瓜环与磺基水杨酸主客体配合物,并测定了其单晶结构.晶体结构表明六元瓜环包结了3个水分子,磺基水杨酸位于六元瓜环的外侧,且与水分子通过氢键与六元瓜环相连,瓜环之间通过端口的羰基O原子、磺基水杨酸以及水分子间的氢键作用形成一维超分子.     

Inclusion complex of riboflavin with cucurbit[7]uril: study in solution and solid state

The aqueous solution of riboflavin and cucurbit[7]uril complex has been studied based on fluorescence and ¹H NMR spectroscopic results. Upon addition of cucurbit[7]uril, the fluorescence intensity of riboflavin was quenched and a slight red shift was observed for the maximum emission peak. These results indicated that the cucurbit[7]uril–riboflavin complex was formed at a 1:1 mole ratio. The temperature-dependent inclusion constants were calculated, from which ΔH and ΔS values were calculated. Meanwhile, rationale of the interaction mechanism was also discussed based on ¹H NMR results. The solid inclusion complex was prepared from co-evaporation method and characterised by differential thermal analysis and fluorescence lifetime analysis methods. The experimental results indicated that riboflavin and cucurbit[7]uril formed stable host–guest inclusion complex in both solution and solid states.     

Flavylium Network of Chemical Reactions in Confined Media: Modulation of 3′,4′,7‐Trihydroxyflavilium Reactions by Host–Guest Interactions with Cucurbit[7]uril

In moderately acidic aqueous solutions, flavylium compounds undergo a pH‐, and in some cases, light‐dependent array of reversible chemical reactions. This network can be described as a single acid–base reaction involving a flavylium cation (acidic form) and a mixture of basic forms (quinoidal base, hemiketal and cis and trans chalcones). The apparent pK′_a of the system and the relative mole fractions of the basic forms can be modulated by the interaction with cucurbit[7]uril. The system is studied by using ¹H NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, flash photolysis, and steady‐state irradiation. Of all the network species, the flavylium cation possesses the highest affinity for cucurbit[7]uril. The rate of interconversion between flavylium cation and the basic species (where trans‐chalcone is dominant) is approximately nine times lower inside the cucurbit[7]uril.     

Supramolecular Polymerization Promoted and Controlled through Self‐Sorting

A new method in which supramolecular polymerization is promoted and controlled through self‐sorting is reported. The bifunctional monomer containing p‐phenylene and naphthalene moieties was prepared. Supramolecular polymerization is promoted by selective recognition between the p‐phenylene group and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), and 2:1 complexation of the naphthalene groups with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]). The process can be controlled by tuning the CB[7] content. This development will enrich the field of supramolecular polymers with important advances towards the realization of molecular‐weight and structural control.     

水-盐酸两步法分离瓜环混合物

根据各元瓜环在水和盐酸两种溶剂中溶解度的不同, 提出了一种通过水-盐酸两步分离混合瓜环的方法. 探讨了溶剂用量、盐酸浓度等因素对分离效果的影响, 确定了最佳的分离工艺条件, 使CB[5], CB[6], CB[7]和CB[8]的分离产率分别达到78.9%, 92.0%, 88.0%和75.0%. 分离得到的瓜环单体经核磁共振检测, 纯度在95%以上, 其中CB[5]的纯度达到98%. 研究结果表明, 本工艺是一种简单有效的分离混合瓜环的方法.     

Cucurbit[5]uril, Decamethylcucurbit[5]uril and Cucurbit[6]uril. Synthesis, Solubility and Amine Complex Formation

A simple way to prepare cucurbit[5]uril is described. The macrocycles of the cucurbituril type are nearly insoluble in water. The solubilities of cucurbit[5]uril, decamethylcucurbit[5]uril and cucurbit[6]uril in hydrochloric acid, formic acid and acetic acid of different concentrations have been investigated. Due to the formation of complexes between cucurbit[n]urils and protons the solubility increases in aqueous acids. The macrocyclic ligands are able to form complexes with several organic compounds. Thus, the complex formation of the cucurbituril macrocycles with different amines has beenstudied by means of calorimetric titrations. The reaction enthalpy gives noevidence of the formation of inclusion or exclusion complexes. ¹H-NMR measurements show that in the case of cucurbit[5]uril and cucurbit[6]uril the organic guest compound is included within the hydrophobic cavity. Decamethylcucurbit[5]uril forms only exclusion complexes with organicamines. This was confirmed by the crystal structure of the decamethylcucurbit[5]uril-1,6-diaminohexane complex.     

Investigation of Host–Guest Compounds of Cucurbit[n=5–8]uril with Some Ortho Aminopyridines and Bispyridine

Host–guest complexes of cucurbit[n=5–8]uril and some examples of ortho substituted pyridines or aminopyridines were examined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Portal binding of two ortho aminopyridine free bases, by cucurbit[5]uril, was observed in ¹H NMR spectra. Combined cavity and portal binding in cucurbit[6]uril were observed for both the free base 2-aminomethylpyridine, ampy, the HCl salt, ampy·1HCl, and the salt of 2,2′-bispyridine, bpy·1HCl. Two novel complexes were formed with cucurbit[6]uril. The free base ampyas a dual occupant, formed a 2:1 complex, and bpy·1HCl formed a stable asymmetric 1:1 complex. Only portal binding of 2,6-bisaminomethylpyridine and its salts was observed for cucurbit[6]uril. Fast exchange of the free base and pyridineammonium salts was observed for cucurbit[7-8]uril.This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

七、八元瓜环与二溴化1,n-亚烷基-二-2-甲基吡啶的超分子自组装

合成和表征了4个碳链长度不同二溴化1,n-亚烷基-二-2-甲基吡啶(客体,n=6,8,10,12),利用1H NMR技术、热重分析及紫外吸收光谱法考察了这些客体与七、八元瓜环(主体)的相互作用,以及形成的主客体包结物的结构特征.研究结果表明4个客体与七、八元瓜环形成不同的主客体包合物.七元瓜环可穿梭在线性客体分子上形成类轮烷型或哑铃型主客体包合物;而由于具有较大的空腔,八元瓜环可包容弯曲状的整个客体分子.     

Improvement of Dispersion and Release Properties of Nifedipine in Suppositories by Complexation with 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Geometries, electronic properties and NMR-shielding of cucurbit[5]uril, decamethylcucurbit[5]uril, cucurbit[6]uril, cucurbit[7]uril, and cucurbit[8]uril are investigated with DFT calculations. All molecules are highly symmetrical with a distinct geometric flexibility. In addition with a characteristic partial charge distribution these findings account for their chemical complex building ability.     

Regioselective photodimerization of cinnamic acids in water: Templation with cucurbiturils

Cinnamic acids upon irradiation in solution undergo geometric isomerization while dimerizing to different dimers in the crystalline state. Controlling the nature of the dimer formed upon irradiation remains a challenging task. We have aligned a variety of cinnamic acid molecules in a head-head fashion employing cucurbit[8]uril, a weakly water soluble host as a template. The water solubility of cucurbit[8]uril is enhanced by inclusion of water soluble cinnamic acids and positions the olefins in an arrangement that favors the formation of syn head-head cyclobutanes in near quantitative yields. This methodology works in both solid state as well as in aqueous solution. Irradiation of cinnamic acid complexes with gamma-cyclodextrin has been carried out as a comparison. We find that while cucurbit[8]uril functions well both in solid state and aqueous solution, cyclodextrin works best as solid complexes only. Consistent with the postulated requirement of large cavities for templating olefins to dimerization, irradiation of complexes of cinnamic acid with cucurbit[7]uril resulted in only the corresponding cis isomers.     

Host–guest interactions of thiabendazole with normal and modified cucurbituril: 1H NMR,phase solubility and antifungal activity studies

Guest–host inclusion complexes between thiabendazole (TBZ) and cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]), symmetrical tetra-methylcucurbit[6]uril (TMeQ[6]) and meta-hexamethyl-substituted cucurbit[6]uril (HMeQ[6]) in aqueous solution were investigated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and phase solubility studies. The antifungal activities of the inclusion complexes were also determined. Analysis of the ¹H NMR spectra revealed that the host Q[7] selectively binds the benzimidazole ring moiety of the guest molecule and that the thiazole ring is encapsulated into the cavities of TMeQ[6] and HMeQ[6]. Phase solubility diagrams were analysed using rigorous procedures to obtain estimates of the complex formation constants for Q[n]-TBZ complexation. The phase solubility studies showed that TBZ solubility increased as a function of Q[7], TMeQ[6] and HMeQ[6] concentrations. We found that complexation of TBZ with Q[n] increased the inhibitory effect of TBZ on the growth of Fusarium graminearum. Our results thus demonstrate that complexation of TBZ with Q[n] could be used to improve the solubility and antifungal activity of TBZ.     

Cucurbit[7]uril Complexation Drives Thermal trans–cis‐Azobenzene Isomerization and Enables Colorimetric Amine Detection

Complexation of yellow diaminoazobenzenes 1 and 3 inside cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) results in the formation of purple‐colored CB[7] ? cis‐ 1? 2 H⁺ and CB[7] ? cis‐ 3? 2 H⁺ complexes, respectively. The high binding affinity and selectivity displayed by CB[7] toward 1 and 3 pays the >10 kcal mol^?1 thermodynamic cost for this isomerization. We investigated the behavior of these complexes as a function of pH and observed large pK_a shifts and high pH responsiveness, which are characteristic of cucurbit[n]uril molecular containers. The remarkable yellow to purple color change was utilized in the construction of an indicator displacement assay for biologically active amines 4 – 10 . This indicator displacement assay is capable of quantifying the pseudoephedrine ( 5 ) content in Sudafed tablets over the 5–350 μM range.     

Effects of the number and placement of positive charges on viologen–cucurbit[n]uril interactions

Recent developments in the synthesis and applications of the cucurbit[n]uril family of synthetic hosts has led to an increasing interest in the detailed studies of their interactions with a wide variety of guests. This paper describes a quantitative study of the effects of the number and placement of positive charges on the binding of viologen guests to cucurbit[7]uril and cucurbit[8]uril. A series of viologen derivatives with one to four charges was characterised by isothermal titration calorimetry, ¹H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to determine the stoichiometry, affinity and mode of binding. These data show that stoichiometry can be controlled by the placement of charge, and that affinity can be increased by the addition of positive charges. This study should serve as a guide for the design of supramolecular structures built from viologens and cucurbit[n]urils.

     

Defection-selective solubilization and chemically-responsive solubility switching of single-walled carbon nanotubes with cucurbit[7]uril

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were suspended in aqueous media with cucurbit[7]uril (CB7), while SWCNTs were insoluble with cucurbit[5]uril (CB5). Moreover, defection-selective solubilization of SWCNTs with CB7 was demonstrated.     

瓜环与4,4'-二氨基二苯甲烷衍生物的相互作用

合成了三种长链多芳环多胺基客体, 它们分别由三种醛基吡啶异构体与4,4'-二氨基二苯甲烷形成的Schiff碱还原而成, 并得到¹H NMR以及质谱分析方法表征证实. 以核磁共振技术、紫外吸收光谱分析方法以及滴定¹H NMR方法为研究手段, 对瓜环(cucurbit[n]urils, n＝6～8)分别与三种4,4'-二[N-(吡啶甲基)氨基]二苯甲烷盐酸盐相互作用进行了考察. 实验结果表明, 六元瓜环与三种4,4'-二[N-(吡啶甲基)氨基]二苯甲烷盐酸盐相互作用均形成物质的量之比为2∶1的哑铃型包结配合物; 八元瓜环与三种N,N'-二(N-(吡啶甲基)二苯甲烷盐酸盐相互作用形成以类轮烷结构为主的包结配合物; 七元瓜环与三种N,N'-二(N-(吡啶甲基)二苯甲烷盐酸盐相互作用存在多种模式的竞争.     

Constraining the Teratogenicity of Pesticide Pollution by a Synthetic Nanoreceptor

The teratogenicity of the pesticide nereistoxin (NTX) and its derivative thiocyclam (THI) towards aquatic life was dramatically constrained by a synthetic nanoreceptor, cucurbit[7]uril, through selective encapsulation of the pesticides (K_CB[7]‐NTX of 3.24(±0.31)×10⁶ m ^?1 and K_CB[7]‐THI of 7.46(±0.10)×10⁵ m ^?1), as evidenced by the rate of hatchability, morphology development, and tyrosinase activity of zebrafish larvae incubated with the pesticides (3–300 μm ) in the absence and in the presence of 300 μm cucurbit[7]uril, demonstrating the significant potential of the nanoreceptor in managing ecological pollution of these pesticides.     

11-Aminoundecanoic acid, Cyclodextrins (α, β) and Cucurbit[n]urils (n = 6, 7) as Building Blocks for Supramolecular Assemblies: A Thermodynamic Study

The formation of 1:1 complexes of α-, β-cyclodextrin, cucurbit[6]uril, and cucurbit[7]uril with 11-aminoundecanoic acid have been studied using calorimetric titrations. The influence of solvent composition (aqueous formic acid) upon the complex stability and the values of the reaction enthalpies and entropies has been studied in the case of α-cyclodextrin (α-CD). With increasing concentration of formic acid the values of the reaction enthalpy decrease and of the reaction entropy increase. All ligands examined form 1:1 complexes with 11-aminoundecanoic acid under the experimental conditions. However, it is also possible to study the formation of 2:1 complexes (ligand:aminocarboxylic acid ratio). Even the formation of mixed 1:1:1 complexes with two different ligands (ligand(1):ligand(2):aminocarboxylic acid ratio) can be measured.     

六～八元瓜环与三种N-苄基取代笼状客体的相互作用

合成了3种具有对不同瓜环选择性各异的双探针N-苄基取代笼状客体, 它们分别是N-苄基六次甲基四胺盐酸盐(1), N-苄基喹啉环啶盐酸盐(2), N-苄基-1,4-二氮杂双环[2.2.1]辛烷盐酸盐(3), 利用¹H NMR和MS等方法对这些客体进行了表征. ¹H NMR显示, 六元瓜环仅对这些客体的苄基探针部分具有选择性作用, 形成作用比为1∶1的不对称包结配合物; 七元瓜环对客体1和3的苄基探针部分具有选择性作用, 形成作用比为1∶1的不对称包结配合物, 而对客体2的笼状奎宁环啶基部分具有选择性作用, 也形成作用比为1∶1的包结配合物; 八元瓜环也仅对这些客体的苄基探针部分具有选择性作用, 形成作用比为1∶2的对称包结配合物.     

Complex Formation of Crown Ethers with the Cucurbit[6]uril–Spermidine and Cucurbit[6]uril–Spermine Complex in Aqueous Solution

Alkyl amines are able to form complexes with either crown ethers or cyclodextrins or cucurbit[6]uril. The same is known for polyamines such as spermidine and spermine. However, the simultaneous formation of such polyamines with crown ethers and cucurbit[6]uril has not been studied. The ability of polyamines such as spermidine and spermine to form mixed complexes with different ligands, e.g. crown ethers and cucurbit[6]uril has been studied in aqueous solution using pH-metric and calorimetric titrations. The thermodynamic data of reaction between crown ethers with spermidine, spermine and their cucurbit[6]uril complexes have been determined. The presence of cucurbit[6]uril on the polyamines has no important influence upon the reaction of these amines with crown ethers. The reactions between polyamines, cucurbit[6]uril and crown ethers are simple examples for the self organization of molecules due to specific interactions. Received in final form: 26 January 2005