Anion recognition by a novel Fipronil-based receptor: efficient deprotonation or stable intermolecular hydrogen bonding

Strong electron-deficient heterocycles of acetyl Fipronil (F3) was designed and synthesized, its ability for anion recognition was investigated by UV and NMR analyses. This novel Fipronil-based receptor F3 shows strong binding affinity with acetate (?10⁷ M⁻¹), phosphate or fluoride ion through efficient deprotonation. In addition, its interaction with chloride anion or other weak base anions through stable intermolecular H-bonding was also reported.     

Anion binding behavior of heterocycle-strapped calix[4]pyrroles

A comparative study of the halide and benzoate anion binding properties of a series of phenyl, pyrrole, and furan-strapped calix[4]pyrroles has been carried out. These receptors, which have previously been shown to bind the chloride anion (Yoon et al., Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 47(27):5038–5042, 2008), were found to bind bromide and benzoate anion (studied as the corresponding tetrabutylammonium salts) with near equal affinity in acetonitrile, albeit less well than chloride, as determined from ITC measurements or NMR spectroscopic titrations. This stands in marked contrast to the parent octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole, where the carboxylate anion affinities are substantially higher than those for bromide anion under identical conditions. This finding is rationalized in terms of tighter binding cavity present in the strapped systems. For all three anions for which quantitative data could be obtained (i.e., Cl^?, Br^?, PhCO₂ ^?), the pyrrole-strapped system displayed the highest affinity, although the relative enhancement was found to depend on the anion in question. In the specific case of fluoride anion binding to the pyrrole-strapped receptor, two modes of interaction are inferred, with the first consisting of binding to the calix[4]pyrrole via NH-anion hydrogen bonds, followed by a process that involves deprotonation of the strapped pyrrolic NH proton. A single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis provides support for the first of these modes and further reveals the presence of a methanol molecule bound to the fluoride anion.     

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.     

Fluoride sensing with a PCT-based calix[4]arene

Novel calix[4]arene-based anion sensor 1 with two coumarin units attached via amido functions acting also as binding sites is presented. Complexation of F⁻ by PCT-based 1 causes selectively red-shift in UV-vis absorption and in fluorescence emission due to H-bonding followed by deprotonation of NH-amide groups.     

Fluorescent sensor for fluoride anion based on a sulfonamido-chromone scaffold

New scaffolds of sulfonamido-chromone derivatives recently synthesized were found to be effective fluorescent sensors for fluoride anion. This new class of fluorophore showed a blue shift in the emission spectra upon addition of various equivalents of fluoride. These compounds also exhibit excellent selectivity for the fluoride anion via a deprotonation process. They were also shown to have a detection limit of F^? down to 0.5?ppm.     

A theoretical investigation of intermolecular interaction of a phthalimide based “on–off” sensor with different halide ions: tuning its efficiency and electro-optical properties

The interaction between chemosensor, N-(2-methyl-1,3-dioxo-indan-5-yl)-benzamide (1) and different halide ions (F ^? , Cl^? and Br^?) has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT). A clear insight of the sensor anion binding process has been presented. Our calculations revealed that the observed colorimetric and fluorescent signals are induced due to the ground state deprotonation of the sensor molecule caused by F^? which has two times higher binding affinity than other halide ions (Cl^? and Br^?). Derivatives of system 1 have been made to find a better sensor with higher binding affinity and longer wavelength of absorption. All the derivatives are better sensors than the parent 1 except 4-methyl-N-(2-methyl-1,3-dioxo-indan-5-yl)-benzamide (2). Among these derivatives, trimethyl-[4-(2-methyl-1,3-dioxo-indan-5-ylcarbamoyl)-phenyl]-ammonium (8) and (5-benzoylamino-1,3-dioxo-indan-2-yl)-trimethyl-ammonium (9) showed a change to higher binding energies of about 58 Kcal/mol and longer absorption wavelengths of 53 nm after deprotonation process than the parent system 1 which is highly demanded in selective chemical sensing. Systems 8, 9 and their deprotonated zwitterionic forms (8z and 9z) have also been studied for their nonlinear optical responses. Systems 8, 9 showed significantly good first hyperpolarizability (β) of 84 × 10^?30 and 40 × 10^?30 esu, respectively. These β values increase in zwitterionic states up to 216 × 10^?30 and 109 × 10^?30 esu, respectively after deprotonation with F^?, representing a new signal of deprotonation.     

Anion recognition properties of the neutral receptors bearing amide macrocycle

Neutral classes of amide‐based macrocycle have been synthesized and the anion binding abilities are assessed by UV‐vis titration and ¹H nmr experiments. Results indicate that higher anion binding abilities are observed for H₂PO₄^?, F^? and AcO^?, but almost no affinity for Cl^?, Br^?, I^? and OH^?. The ¹H nmr spectra shows that the interactions between the receptors and fluoride anion depend on two factors, respectively: one is depend on hydrogen bonding, the other on deprotonation.     

Nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis(indolyl)methane derivatives as anion receptors: electron-withdrawing effect and tunability of anion binding properties

A series of nitro-substituted 3,3'-bis-indolyl phenylmethane derivatives were synthesized and their anion binding properties were investigated in detail. The introduction of the electron-withdrawing nitro group into indole unit and/or meso-phenyl ring, which leads to the increased acidity of indole NH and meso-position CH proton, has a positive effect on anion binding. The nitro-substituted bis(indolyl)methane receptors exhibited selective colorimetric sensing of F- anion, as revealed by the notable color and spectral changes, rationally due to the deprotonation of the indole NH of the receptor. Meanwhile, the additive introduction of the nitro substituents on the meso-phenyl ring of bis(indolyl)methane can lead to the deprotonation of the meso-position CH and further induce an irreversible oxidation process obtaining bis(indolyl)methene product in the F- anion sensing system.     

Nickel-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Involving C−O Bond Activation

An efficient Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of ortho-phenoxy-substituted aromatic amides with aryl boronates is described. The use of LiO^tBu is crucial for the success of the reaction. An amidate anion, which is formed through deprotonation of the amide NH bond by LiO^tBu, functions as a directing group to activate a C−O bond.     

F and OH induced monodeprotonation of a lacunar cationic dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene: experimental evidence of tautomerism in a monoanionic macrocycle

A search for selective receptors of anions resulted in a new lacunar cationic derivative of dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene (DBTAA) being synthesized and its crystal structure determined. UV-vis, fluorescence and preliminary ¹H NMR studies of anion binding abilities revealed that under the influence of F⁻ and OH⁻, deprotonation of the macrocycle takes place leading to a zwitterionic species containing a monoanionic DBTAA core and a positively charged quaternized amine nitrogen. The tautomerism of the remaining single NH hydrogen is discussed on the basis of ¹H NMR experiments and DFT calculations.     

A novel C3v-symmetric molecular clip with tris(diamide) recognition sites on trindane platform for H2PO4− recognition

To avoid the deprotonation events occurred in the receptor upon recognition of basic anions, a novel C_3v-symmetric anion receptor 2 with two amide groups appended in each arm was designed and synthesized by using the trindane tricarboxylic acid as tripodal molecular framework. The anion recognition ability by 2 was examined by ¹H NMR titration study in DMSO-d₆, which revealed that the addition of H₂PO₄^? guests caused substantial downfield shifts of the amide-NH protons peaks due to the formation of a host-guest complex in 1:1 binding stoichiometry with the estimated binding constant (K_a) of 244?M^?1. No noticeable binding of 2 was observed with other tested anions such as F^?, Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, NO₃^? and HSO₄^? under similar conditions.     

Synthesis of Zwitterionic Cobaltocenium Borate and Borata‐alkene Derivatives from a Borole‐Radical Anion

Chemical single‐electron reduction of 1‐mesityl‐2,3,4,5‐tetraphenylborole ( 3 ) gave a stable radical anion [CoCp*₂][ 3 ] as shown in earlier investigations. Herein, we present the reaction of [CoCp*₂][ 3 ] with the 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐N‐oxyl radical (TEMPO), a common radical trap. Instead of radical recombination, the reaction proceeds through a redox pathway involving oxidation of the borole radical anion combined with reduction of TEMPO. This electron‐transfer process is accompanied by a deprotonation reaction of the cobaltocenium counterion by the base TEMPO^? to give TEMPO‐H and a neutral cobalt(I) fulvene complex ( 7 ). The latter was not observed directly during the reaction, because it instantaneously reacts as a nucleophile attacking at the boron center of the in situ generated borole 3 to give the borate 6 . However, 7 was synthesized independently by deprotonation of [CoCp*₂][PF₆]. In addition, the obtained zwitterionic cobaltocenium borate 6 undergoes a photolytic rearrangement to form the borata‐alkene derivative 9 that thermally transforms to the chiral cobaltocenium borate 12 . Our investigations are based on spectroscopic evidence, X‐ray crystallography, elemental analysis, as well as DFT calculations.     

Head‐to‐Tail Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding of OH and NH Groups with Fluoride

To explore the anion‐recognition ability of the phenolic hydroxyl group and the amino hydrogen, we synthesized three different acridinedione (ADD) based anion receptors, 1 , 2 and 3 , having OH, NH, and combination of OH and NH groups, respectively. Absorption, emission and ¹H NMR spectral studies revealed that receptor 1 , having only a phenolic OH group, shows selective deprotonation of the hydroxyl proton towards F^?, which results in an “ON–OFF”‐type signal in the fluorescence spectral studies. Receptor 2 , which only has an amino hydrogen, also shows deprotonation of the amino hydrogen with F^?, whereas receptor 3 (having both OH and NH groups) shows head‐to‐tail intermolecular hydrogen bonding of OH and NH groups with F^? prior to deprotonation. The observation of hydrogen bonding of the OH and NH groups in a combined solution of 1 and 2 with F^? in a head‐to‐tail hetero‐intermolecular fashion, and the absence of head‐to‐head and tail‐to‐tail intermolecular hydrogen bonding in 1 and 2 with F^?, prove that the difference in the acidity of the OH and NH protons leads to the formation of an intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding complex with F^? prior to deprotonation. The presence of this hydrogen‐bonding complex was confirmed by absorption spectroscopy, 3D emission contour studies, and ¹H NMR titration.     

Simple indole-based colorimetric sensors with electron-withdrawing chromophores: Tuning selectivity in anion sensing

Three simple colorimetric anion sensors (1, 2, and 3) containing anthrone, 1,3-indanedione, and malononitrile as signaling chromophores and an indole binding site have been designed and synthesized. The introduction of electron-withdrawing groups can not only provide chromogenic signal output, but also tune the sensitivity and selectivity of indole-based anion sensors by electron push–pull features. Their anion binding and sensing properties were investigated in detail by dramatic color changes, UV–vis absorption, and ¹H NMR. As results revealed, sensor 1 showed high selectivity for F⁻ over AcO⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ with a distinct change in color due to the deprotonation of indole NH group. The excellent selectivity of 1 for F⁻ can be attributed to the fitness in the acidity of its NH-group, which is tuned to be able to distinguish the subtle difference in the affinity of F⁻, AcO⁻, and H₂PO₄⁻ to NH proton.     

Synthesis and anion recognition studies of novel 5,5-dioxidophenothiazine-1,9-diamides

Novel 5,5-dioxidophenothiazine-1,9-diacetamide and -dibenzamide receptor molecules were prepared starting from commercially available and relatively cheap chemicals. The anion recognition properties of these two diamides were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy. Chloride formed a simple hydrogen-bonded complex with the diacetamide receptor, while fluoride, acetate and dihydrogen phosphate deprotonated both sensor molecules. Upon titration with fluoride deprotonation occurred via the formation of [HF₂]^?, and in the case of the diacetamide receptor complexation took place alongside deprotonation.     

Oxidation with permanganate in strong alkaline medium. Oxidation of pyruvic and lactic acids

The reaction of permanganate ion with pyruvic acid and lactic acid has been studied in aqueous solutions containing 0.10–2.0 mol dm^?3 alkali. In this range of HO^? concentration the reaction is followed slowly by the reduction of manganate, thus, the above process can be studied separately. In the case of lactic acid (LA), the reactive species is alkoxy anion, and the deprotonation constant could be calculated from the kinetic data. A mechanism based on electron abstraction from the alkoxy anion has been proposed. In the case of pyruvic acid (PA) oxidation may proceed with participation of enolate anion, or hydrate anion, or an adduct. These three possibilities have been investigated. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Urea-based polyacetylenes as an optical sensor for fluoride ions

Novel acetylenes carrying urea groups, 1-(4-ethynylphenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl) urea (1), 1-(4-propargyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl) urea (2), were synthesized and polymerized with rhodium catalyst. Polymers [poly(1) and poly(2)] with moderate molecular weights were obtained in good yields. The anion sensing ability of poly(1) and poly(2) was estimated using the tetra-n-butylammonium (TBA) salts of a series of anions in DMF. Upon the addition of F-, the color of the DMF solution of poly(1) and poly(2) immediately turned to a different color, while the color of solution changed slightly upon addition of Cl-, HSO4-, Br-, and NO3-, indicating the F- sensing ability of poly(1) and poly(2). The 1H-NMR titrations of poly(1) revealed that the colorimetric response of poly(1) was triggered by the urea/F- interaction through the hydrogen bonding and/or deprotonation process. The absorption spectra titration and Hill plot analysis were carried out to measure the F- binding ability, and the Hill coefficient in the poly(1)/F- complexation was found to be 5.8. This result clearly indicated that this binding mode between poly(1) and F- was based on a positive homotropic allosterism.     

Tunability of anion binding strength based on acyl-thiourea receptors containing isatin group

Some acyl-thiourea derivatives containing isatin group were synthesized and their interactions with anions were investigated using UV–vis spectroscopy and ¹H NMR titrations in DMSO and DMSO-d₆, respectively. These compounds have a same molecular framework, functionalising with different groups lead to different anion binding strength of these receptors. Receptor 1 showed a higher binding affinity for AcO⁻ than for F⁻, due to the cooperative multiple hydrogen bond interactions of AcO⁻ with the acyl-thiourea group and N–H group in the indole unit of receptor 1. Displacing the N–H proton in the indole unit with –CH₃ group, receptor 2 showed no obviously discriminative responses for F⁻, AcO⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ due to lack of such additional binding. In the case of receptor 3, which was functionalised with strong electron-withdrawing group, it showed selectively chromogenic response for F⁻ based on double deprotonation of the receptor in DMSO, whereas AcO⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻ induced single deprotonation only.     

Ion chemistry of deprotonated phenylthiocarbamyl-phenylalanine

The fragmentation of an [M-H]^? anion of phenylthiocarbamyl (PTC)-phenylalanine (Phe) and of a deuterium labeled analog using electrospray ionization (ESI) in a negative ion mode was studied. Product ion experiments show that deprotonated PTC-Phe fragments mainly through three different pathways. Further tandem mass spectrometry experiments show that these three pathways actually correspond to the three different deprotonation sites in the molecule. These three ionization sites lead to the losses of, respectively, H₂S and (H₂S+CO₂), C₆H₅N=C=S, and C₆H₅NH₂ from [M-H]^? in the first steps. They yield anions stabilized by resonance. The fragment produced by the loss of C₆H₅NH₂ is relatively weak and originates from a less acidic site. By selecting these fragment anions successively as precursors from the ion source, detailed information on the fragmentation mechanism is obtained. The benzyl-type anion plays a stabilizing role through conjugation. The fragmentation process also involves some uncommon neutral losses. For example, losses of HCN involve reactions that may occur through fouror five-membered cyclic transition states and cyanide ion-molecule complexes. Similar losses of HCN may occur through both the carboxylate anion and one of its tautomeric forms. Deuterium labeling studies support all the mechanistic proposals. The fragments obtained following the loss of the derivatization reagent (C₆H₅N=C=S) show that it is the anion of the deprotonated free amino acid. Preliminary results have shown that this also occurs for other PTC amino acids.     

Cp*CoIII‐Catalyzed C(sp3)−H Bond Amidation of 8‐Methylquinoline

An efficient and external oxidant‐free, Cp*Co^III‐catalyzed C(sp³)?H bond amidation of 8‐methylquinoline, using oxazolone as an efficient amidating agent, is reported for the first time under mild conditions. The reaction is selective and tolerates a variety of functional groups. Based on previous reports and experimental results, the deprotonation pathway proceeds through an external base‐assisted concerted metalation and deprotonation process.