Simultaneously bound guests and chiral recognition: a chiral self-assembled supramolecular host encapsulates hydrophobic guests

Driven by the hydrophobic effect, a water-soluble, chiral, self-assembled supramolecular host is able to encapsulate hydrophobic organic guests in aqueous solution. Small aromatics can be encapsulated in the supramolecular assembly, and the simultaneous encapsulation of multiple species is observed in many cases. The molecular host assembly is able to recognize different substitutional isomers of disubstituted benzenes with ortho substitution leading to the encapsulation of two guests, but meta or para substitution leading to the encapsulation of only one guest. The scope of hydrophobic guest encapsulation is further explored with chiral natural products. Upon encapsulation of chiral molecules into the racemic host, diastereomeric host-guest complexes are formed with observed diastereoselectivities of up to 78:22 in the case of fenchone.     

Entropy-controlled supramolecular photochirogenesis: enantiodifferentiating Z-E photoisomerization of cyclooctene included and sensitized by permethylated 6-O-benzoyl-beta-cyclodextrin

In contrast to the photosensitization with a non-methylated analogue, supramolecular photochirogenesis with a novel permethylated mono(6-O-benzoyl)-beta-cyclodextrin exhibited a critical dependence of the product's enantiomeric excess upon temperature, and possessed a large differential entropy of activation (-11 J K(-1) mol(-1)) for which the flexible host skeleton is likely to be responsible.     

Entropy-controlled supramolecular photochirogenesis: enantiodifferentiating Z-E photoisomerization of cyclooctene included and sensitized by permethylated 6-O-modified beta-cyclodextrins

Permethylated 6-O-modified beta-cyclodextrins 2a-2d were synthesized as novel photosensitizing hosts with a flexible skeleton. Circular dichroism (CD) and 2D NMR spectral examinations of benzoate 2a revealed that the benzoate moiety is deeply included into its own cavity in aqueous solution. Upon addition of (Z)-cyclooctene (1Z) to a 50% aqueous methanol solution of 2a at 25 degrees C, the benzoate moiety of 2a was gradually excluded from the cavity as indicated by the CD spectral changes; the Job's plot revealed the formation of a 1:1 complex of 2a with 1Z. The binding constants for the complexation of 1Z by 2a were determined by CD spectral titration in 50% aqueous methanol at various temperatures. The van't Hoff analysis of the obtained data afforded the thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH degrees = -3.1 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS degrees = 48.5 J mol(-1) K(-1)), demonstrating the entropy-driven complexation by the permethylated cyclodextrin. This is in sharp contrast to the complexation of 1Z by nonmethylated beta-cyclodextrin benzoate that is driven by enthalpy (DeltaH degrees = -31.8 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS degrees = -51.1 J mol(-1) K(-1)). Upon supramolecular photosensitization with 2a-2d, 1Z isomerized to the (E)-isomer (1E) in moderate enantiomeric excesses (ee's), which however displayed significant temperature dependence with accompanying switching of the product's chirality in an extreme case. Such dynamic behavior of ee is very different from that reported for the photosensitization with nonmethylated cyclodextrin benzoate, where the product's ee is controlled by host occupancy. Eyring treatment of the ee obtained at various temperatures (<0 degrees C) gave the differential activation parameters for the enantiodifferentiation process occurring in the supramolecular exciplex, revealing the crucial role of entropy, as indicated by the DeltaDeltaS(++) value changing dynamically from +4 to -24 J K(-1) mol(-1). The origin of the contrasting behavior of permethylated versus nonmethylated cyclodextrin hosts is inferred to be the conformational flexibility of the former host, which enables the entropy-driven guest complexation in the ground state and the entropy-controlled enantiodifferentiation in the excited state.     

Supramolecular photochirogenesis with biomolecules. Mechanistic studies on the enantiodifferentiation for the photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate mediated by bovine serum albumin

Photophysics and photochemistry of 2-anthracenecarboxylate (AC) bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated in detail for the first time by electronic absorption, circular dichroism (CD), steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, fluorescence quenching, and product analysis studies. Through the spectroscopic investigations, it was revealed that the four independent binding pockets of BSA, which are known to accommodate 1, 3, 2, and 3 AC molecules in the order of decreasing affinity, are distinctly different in hydrophobicity, chiral environment, and accessibility. Interestingly, AC bound to site 1 gave highly structured fluorescence with dual lifetimes of 4.8 and 2.1 ns in an intensity ratio of 3:2, which may be assigned to the existence of two positional or orientational isomers within the very hydrophobic site 1. In contrast, the lifetime of AC in site 2 was much longer (13.3 ns), and ACs in sites 3 and 4 have broader fluorescence spectra with lifetimes that were practically indistinguishable from that in bulk water (15.8 ns). Although each of sites 2-4 simultaneously binds multiple AC molecules, no CD exciton coupling or static fluorescence quenching was detected, indicating that ACs bound to each site are not in close proximity to each other. Quenching studies with nitromethane further confirmed the significant difference in accessibility among the binding sites; thus, ACs bound to sites 1 and 2 are highly protected from the attack of the quencher, affording 32 and 10 times smaller rate constants than that for free AC in water. Product studies in the presence and absence of nitromethane more clearly revealed the photochirogenic performance of each binding site. Although the addition of nitromethane did not greatly alter the product distribution, the enantiomeric excesses (ee's) of chiral cycloadducts 2 and 3 were critically manipulated by selectively retarding the photoreaction occurring at the more accessible binding sites. Thus, the highest ee of 38% was obtained for 2 in the presence of 18 mM nitromethane, while the highest ee of 58% was attained for 3 in the absence of nitromethane, both at [AC]/[BSA]=3.6.     

Mimics of small ribozymes utilizing a supramolecular scaffold

For elucidating the mechanism of the general acid/base catalysis of the hydrolysis of RNA phosphodiester bonds, a number of cleaving agents having two cyclen moieties tethered to a 1,3,5-triazine core have been prepared and their ability to bind and cleave uridylyl-3',5'-uridine (UpU) studied over a wide pH range. Around neutral pH, the cleaving agents form a highly stable ternary complex with UpU and Zn(II) through coordination of the uracil N3 and the cyclen nitrogen atoms to the Zn(II) ions. Under conditions where the triazine core exists in the deprotonated neutral form, hydrolysis of UpU, but not of adenylyl-3',5'-adenosine (ApA), is accelerated by approximately two orders of magnitude in the presence of the cleaving agents, suggesting general base rather than metal ion catalysis. The probable mechanism of the observed catalysis and implications to understanding the general acid/base-catalyzed phosphodiester hydrolysis by ribozymes are discussed.     

Versatile stereocontrol in kinetic resolution of a diphenylphosphinyl-protected α-amino aldehyde by reaction with chiral phosphonates

In kinetic resolutions of the racemic aldehyde 1 by reaction with chiral phosphonates of type 2, all of which contain the same chiral auxiliary in the same enantiomeric form, any of the four diastereomers 3a, 3b, 4a or 4b can be obtained as the main product by an appropriate choice of reaction parameters (geometric selectivities from 66:34 to 98:2, diastereomer ratios between 93:7 and ≥99:1). The switch in stereoselectivity observed when KHMDS or NaHMDS is used as base instead of KHMDS/18-crown-6 is rationalized as resulting from a change in influence of the aldehyde α-stereocenter from Felkin-Anh-Eisenstein to chelation control.     

Remote stereocontrol of intramolecular rhodium carbene addition driven by a small and flexible chiral 2,4-pentanediol tether

Intramolecular rhodium carbenoid additions were studied using 2,4-pentanidiol as a chiral tether between a diazo group, a precursor of the carbene, and an aromatic group to be reacted with the carbene. The reaction was designed to perform the addition at a remote position, conserving the original high stereoselectivity appeared at additions near the tether, in addition to high regioselectivity and sufficient reaction efficiency. Substitution on the near reaction sites, the carbene carbon and aromatic group, in the reactant was effective to relegate the reaction site to a remote position. In the present study, two remote reactions, one dealing with C–H insertion and the other classified in Büchner reaction, were found to give sole products in high yields.     

New supramolecular organization for a glycoluril: chiral hydrogen-bonded ribbons

A series of substituted glycoluril molecules exhibits a substantial twist of the fused five-membered rings and assembles exclusively chiral hydrogen-bonded ribbons in the solid-state.     

Remote stereocontrol by sulfinyl groups: asymmetric alkylation of chiral 2-p-tolylsulfinyl benzyl carbanions

Alkylation reactions of the benzyllithiums derived from enantiomerically pure 2-p-tolylsulfinyl alkylbenzenes have been carried out with excellent yields and high de. A lithiation-substitution sequence, stereochemically controlled by a remote sulfoxide, accounts for the experimental results.     

Efficient stereocontrol of a quaternary chiral center in the cyclohexene systems. Potential chiral synthons for vitamin D and related compounds by enzymatic approach

Cyclohexene derivatives, 8 ˜ 11, fused to γ-lactone with angular methyl are efficiently prepared in an enantio-, stereo- and regioselective manner from the chiral monoester 1.     

a highly stereoselective synthesis of carbocyclic compounds by the michael induced intramolecular alkylation a stereocontrol of extracyclic chiral centers

Three, five, six, and seven-membered carbocyclic compounds, some of which contain an extracyclic chiral center, were synthesized highly stereo-selectively by the Michael induced intramolecular alkylation.     

Toward stereoselective lactide polymerization catalysts: cationic zinc complexes supported by a chiral phosphinimine scaffold

The P-stereogenic phosphinimine ligands (dbf)MePhP═NAr (7: Ar = Dipp; 8: Ar = Mes; dbf = dibenzofuran, Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) were synthesized as racemates via reactions of the parent phosphines (rac)-(dbf)MePhP (6) with organoazides. The ligands 7 and 8 were protonated by Br?nsted acids to afford the aminophosphonium borate salts [(7)-H][BAr(4)] (9: Ar = C(6)F(5); 11: Ar = Ph) and [(8)-H][BAr(4)] (10: Ar = C(6)F(5); 12: Ar = Ph). The protonated ligands 9 and 10 were active toward alkane elimination reactions with diethylzinc and ethyl-[methyl-(S)-lactate]zinc to give the heteroleptic complexes [{(dbf)MePhP═NAr}ZnR][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] (Ar = Dipp, 13: R = Et; 15: R = methyl-(S)-lactate; Ar = Mes, 14: R = Et; 16: R = methyl-(S)-lactate). By contrast, reaction of the tetraphenylborate derivative 11 with diethylzinc yielded a phenyl transfer product, [(dbf)MePhP═NDipp]ZnPh(2) (17). Complex 15 was found to catalyze the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide.     

Resolution of hydrocarbons by inclusion complexation with a chiral host compound

Some racemic unsaturated hydrocarbons, 3- and 4-methyl and 4-vinylcyclohexene, bicyclo[4.3]nonane-2,5-diene, and 3-chloro- and 3,4-dichloro-1-butene were resolved as inclusion complex crystals with a chiral host compound derived from tartaric acid. The inclusion complexation, purified by repeating recrystallization from ether twice and decomposed by heating in vacuo, gave optically active hydrocarbons of 28–75% ee by distillation. The optical resolution by inclusion complexation in a water suspension medium and by fractional distillation in the presence of a chiral host was also applied to these hydrocarbons.     

Resolution of omeprazole by inclusion complexation with a chiral host BINOL

Both (S)-(−)- and (R)-(+)-enantiomers of omeprazole were directly resolved by inclusion complexation with a chiral host compound (S)-(−)- or (R)-(+)-2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl in high enantiomeric excess (>99% e.e.).     

Photocontrol of supramolecular architecture in azopolymers: Achiral and chiral aggregation

The absorption spectra and circular dichroism responses upon irradiation with 488 nm circularly polarized light (CPL) have been studied on polymeric films processed from two nematic copolymers containing azobenzene chromophores. Influence of the aggregation and orientation of azobenzenes on the photoinduced chiroptical properties has been analyzed. Moreover, polymeric films and 4 μm planar cells filled with the copolymers were studied by polarized optical microscopy (POM) with the aim of investigating the change of macroscopic optical properties and textures of azopolymers upon irradiation with CPL.     

Enantioseparation of 1-arylethanols via a supramolecular chiral host consisting of N-(2-naphthoyl)-L-aspartic acid and an achiral diamine

A supramolecular chiral host consisting of N-(2-naphthoyl)-L-aspartic acid (L-1) and meso-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (2) is effective in enantioseparation of 1-arylethanols (up to 96% ee with 100% inclusion ratio). Here we report three different methods to prepare the inclusion crystals and discuss the chiral recognition mechanism on the basis of X-ray crystallography results.     

Control of carbon nanotube handedness using a supramolecular chiral surface

Sorting diameter and handedness of carbon nanotubes still appears as an important challenge in nanotechnology. In this context, supramolecular structures formed by self-assembled chiral molecules deposited on well-defined metal surfaces can be used to discriminate the two isomers of carbon nanotubes. Calculations are carried out to determine the adsorption energy of nanotube enantiomers on alaninate coated Cu(110) surface. The results show a significant discrimination of the L and R handed isomers by such a surface and an additional selectivity in terms of small and large tube diameters.     

Self-assembly of folic acid derivatives: induction of supramolecular chirality by hierarchical chiral structures

Hierarchical chiral structures made up of dendritic oligo(L- or D-glutamic acid) moieties of folic acid derivatives induce supramolecular chirality in the self-assembled columnar structures of the folic acids. These folic acids self-assemble through the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the pterin rings to form disklike tetramers. In the neat states, the stacked tetramers form thermotropic hexagonal columnar phases over wide temperature ranges, including room temperature. Addition of alkali metal salts induces chirality in the columnar phases. In dilute solution states in a relatively polar solvent (chloroform), the folic acid derivatives form non-chiral, self-assembled structures. In the presence of sodium triflate, the folic acid forms chiral columnar assemblies through the oligo(L-glutamic acid) moiety, similar to those formed in the liquid-crystalline (LC) states. The enantiomer of the folic acid induces columnar assemblies with reversed helicity. In the case of the diastereomer, no induced helicity is observed. Application of an apolar solvent (dodecane) drives the folic acid derivatives to form chiral assemblies in the absence of ions. In this case, lipophilic interactions promote nanophase segregation, which enhances the formation of chiral columns. Interestingly, the chiral supramolecular structure of the diastereomer induces the most intense circular dichroism. In both cases, the molecular chirality in the oligo(glutamate) moieties yields supramolecular chirality of the folic acids that self-assemble through cooperative molecular interactions.