Synthesis of 15‐, 16‐, and 17‐Membered Bis‐C‐Pivot Macrocycles Consisting of N2O2 Donor‐Type Crown Ethers and Dialkyl Phosphonates

Bis‐C‐pivot macrocycles containing aminophosphonate functions ( 5–10 ) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, MS, 1D ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR, and 2D HETCOR techniques. The phosphorylation reaction of dibenzo‐bis‐imino crown ethers ( 1–4 ) with dimethyl and diethyl phosphite used here has the potential to provide bis‐C‐pivot macrocycles ( 5–10 ), which possess two stereogenic C‐centers giving rise to diastereoisomers (meso and racemic). Detailed spectral assignments for the meso and racemic forms of the compounds are reported on the basis of chemical shifts, signal intensities, spin–spin coupling constants, and splitting patterns. The bis‐C‐pivot macrocycles ( 5–10 ) may serve as a potential new class of supramolecular host molecules.     

Synthesis of bis(indolylmaleimide) macrocycles

The synthesis of a novel class of macrocyclic bis(indolylmaleimides) is reported. The key step involves the intermolecular connection of 2,2′‐bridged indoles with 3,4‐dibromo‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐2,5‐pyrroledione (dibromomaleimide) derivatives. The bis(indolylmaleimides) afforded by this method were further processed by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution of the remaining bromo substituents forming flexible N‐substituted macrocycles ( 9a‐9j, 10a‐10e ) and, by connecting both maleimides, semi rigid macrocycles ( 7a‐7xx ).     

Synthesis of macrocycles incorporating azo‐bis(azofurazan) framework

A series of macrocycles containing four furazan rings bonded by three azo bonds 2, 5 and 7 have been synthesized from the common precursor, 3‐amino‐3′‐nitro(azofurazan) 3 . The macrocycles closure is a result of N?N bond formation at oxidative cyclization of corresponding bis(3‐aminofurazan‐4‐yl) precursors. X‐Ray crystal structures of macrocycles 2, 2 ?AcOH, 11 and 13 are reported.     

A Modular Synthetic Strategy for Functional Macrocycles

Reported here is a molecule‐Lego synthetic strategy for macrocycles with functional skeletons, involving one‐pot and high‐yielding condensation between bis(2,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)arene monomers and paraformaldehyde. By changing the blocks, variously functional units (naphthalene, pyrene, anthraquinone, porphyrin, etc.) can be conveniently introduced into the backbone of macrocycles. Interestingly, the macrocyclization can be tuned by the geometrical configuration of monomeric blocks. Linear (180°) monomer yield cyclic trimers and pentamers, while V‐shaped (120°, 90° and 60°) monomers tend to form dimers. More significantly, even heterogeneous macrocycles are obtained in moderate yield by co‐oligomerization of different monomers. This series of macrocycles have the potential to be prosperous in the near future.     

Metal‐Ion‐Induced Switch of Liquid‐Crystalline Orientation of Metallomacrocycles

A new series of shape‐persistent imine‐bridged macrocycles were synthesized based on dynamic covalent chemistry. The macrocycles had an alternating sequence of dibenzothiophene and N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)‐ethylenediamine (salen) tethering branched alkyl chains. The macrocycles and tetranuclear metallomacrocycles bearing long and branched alkyl chains exhibited thermotropic columnar liquid‐crystalline phases over a wide temperature range and the metallomacrocycles greatly depended on the characteristics of the coordinated metal ions. The metal‐free macrocycle showed a liquid‐crystalline phase with a lamellar structure and poor birefringence. In sharp contrast, the macrocyclic Ni complex showed a columnar oblique liquid‐crystalline phase, whereas the Pd and Cu complexes showed columnar liquid‐crystalline phases with a lamellar structure. The macroscopic organization and thermal properties of the corresponding liquid‐crystalline metallomacrocycles were significantly dependent on the subtle structural differences among the planar macrocycles, which were revealed by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic analysis of the macrocycles with shorter alkyl chains.     

A facile and efficient synthetic approach to novel lariat macrocyclic diamides and bis macrocyclic diamides

The hydroxy macrocycles 8, 19a‐c were prepared in 40–55% yields by reacting the dipotassium salts 2a‐c with each of epichlorohydrin ( 7 ) and bis(chloromethyl) derivative 18 . Acylation of the hydroxyl group of each of 8, 19a‐c with 2‐chloroacetylchloride ( 9 ) in DMF gave the corresponding esters 10, 20a,b . Reaction of the latter with different amines as well as phenoxides furnished exclusively the target lariat macrocycles 13a‐c, 22a‐c and 23a‐c in 60–63% and 50–55% yields, respectively. Amination of two equivalents of the chloroacetyloxy derivative 10 and 2a,b with 1 equiv. of piperazine ( 12c ) afforded the corresponding bismacrocycles 14 and 26a,b respectively, in 60–65% yields. Moreover, the novel bis(macrocycles) 27–29 were prepared in 45–50% yields, respectively, by reacting each of 20a,b with the dipotassium salts 2b, 24 and 25 respectively, in DMF.     

New one step synthesis of crown compounds containing a 1,3,4‐thiadiazole moiety

New macrocyclic polyether compounds containing a 2,5‐bis(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole moiety have been prepared by a nucleophilic substitution reaction involving ethylene or polyethylene glycol ditosylate and a bisphenol, the 2,5‐bis(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole, with solid anhydrous carbonate as a base. The structures of the macrocycles obtained were firmly established by ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectroscopy and their mass spectra.     

Facile syntheses of homothia‐ and homoazacalixarenes

Decahomotetrathiacalix[6]arenes were conveniently prepared from the 2:2 cyclization reactions of bis(chloromethyl)phenol‐formaldehyde trimers with 1,2‐ethanedithiol in high yields. In contrast, the simi lar reactions of the trimers with 1,3‐propanedithiol instead of 1,2‐ethanedithiol gave 1:1 macrocycles, hexahomodithiacalix[3]arenes, in good yields. Homoazacalixarenes were also prepared from the analogous reactions using piperazines. These macrocycles adopt a cone‐like form as a preferable conformation in solution.     

Incorporation of a Phenanthrene Subunit into a Sapphyrin Framework: Synthesis of Expanded Aceneporphyrinoids

32‐Hetero‐5,6‐dimethoxyphenanthrisapphyrins—macrocycles that link structural features of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons and expanded porphyrins—were obtained in a straightforward [3+1] condensation reaction of dimethoxyphenanthritripyrrane and 2,5‐bis(arylhydroxymethyl)heterocyclopentadienes. The highly folded conformation of formally 4 n π‐electron macrocycles causes them to manifest only limited macrocyclic π conjugation as explored by means of NMR spectroscopic and X‐ray structural analyses, and supported by DFT calculations. Although protonation does not change their π‐conjugation characteristics, the cleavage of ether groups at the phenanthrenylene moiety yields nonaromatic 32‐hetero‐5,6‐dioxophenanthrisapphyrins.     

Synthesis and properties of bowl‐shaped homotriazacalix[3 and 6] arenes and the acyclic analogues

Bowl‐shaped chiral homotriazacalixarenes were prepared by the cyclization reactions of chiral triamines with three equimolar amounts of bis(chloromethyl) phenols or bis(chloromethyl) phenol‐formaldehyde dimers in moderate yields. The corresponding acyclic phenol‐formaldehyde oligomers were also synthesized. The structural analysis of the macrocycles by nmr and circular dichroism spectra imply the existence of chiral transmission from the point chirality of the cysteine bridge to the cyclophane moiety. Their cyclic and acyclic compounds have a π‐base cavity large enough to include the ammonium ion.     

Synthesis of macrocyclic bis(phenylbenzoxazole) derivatives via tandem claisen rearrangement and their fluorescence behavior

Novel macrocyclic bis(phenylbenzoxazole) derivatives were easily synthesized from macrocyclic isobutenyl bis(amide‐ether)s by tandem Claisen rearrangement and subsequent intramolecular cyclization of the amide‐phenol intermediates. The position of substitution of the oligoethylene glycol moiety on the phenylamido groups of the macrocycles did not have a large effect on the yields of the bis(benzoxazole)s for the meta and para derivatives. The fluorescence quantum yields of most of the macrocyclic bis(benzoxa‐zole)s were lower than those of the corresponding nonmacrocyclic bis(benzoxazole) model compounds. The quantum yields of the para‐substituted macrocyclic bis(benzoxazole)s were clearly lower than those of the model compounds and decreased with increasing length of the oligoethylene chain.     

An Efficient Synthesis of Novel Benzo‐Fused Macrocyclic Dilactams

A facile synthetic approach was adopted towards the synthesis of benzo‐fused macrocyclic lactams 2a – 2g via the base‐catalyzed condensation reaction of 2,2′‐[alkanediylbis(oxy)]bis[benzaldehydes] 3a – 3c with N,N′‐substituted bis[2‐cyanoacetamide] derivatives 7a – 7c (Scheme 2). The latter compounds were obtained by the reaction of the appropriate diamines 6a – 6c with ethyl 2‐cyanoacetate ( 4 ). Attempts to prepare the oxaaza macrocycles 2 by alternative pathways were also investigated. The novel pyrazolo‐fused macrocycles 13a and 13b were obtained in 48 and 52% yield, respectively, upon treatment of 2d and 2g with NH₂NH₂?H₂O at 100° (Scheme 4).     

Chiral Macrocycle‐Enabled Counteranion Trapping for Boosting Highly Efficient and Enantioselective Catalysis

The tight binding enabled by tailor‐made macrocycles can be manipulated for tuning the catalysis process. In parallel to well‐developed crown ether‐based cation‐binding catalysis, a macrocycle‐enabled counteranion trapping strategy is presented for boosting highly efficient and enantioselective catalysis. A set of bis‐diarylthiourea macrocycles containing two BINOL moieties were designed and synthesized. They possess a well‐confined chiral cavity and strong binding affinities towards disulfonate anions. Caused by the tight binding, just 1 mol % macrocycle in combination with 1 mol % ethanedisulfonic acid can promote excellent conversion and up to 99 % ee in the Friedel–Crafts reaction of indoles with imines. The acid or the macrocycle alone do not afford any reactivity. The high catalytic efficiency and excellent stereocontrol was ascribed to large, complexation‐induced acidity enhancement and tight ion‐pairing facilitated by cave‐like macrocyclic cavity.     

Syntheses of Thiazole‐Containing Macroheterocycles Related to Porphycene

The syntheses of 2,2′‐bithiazole‐containing and related expanded macrocycles 13 – 16 were accomplished by the McMurry coupling reaction of the corresponding [2,2′‐bithiazole]‐5,5′‐dicarbaldehyde 6c and 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)bis[thiazole‐5‐carbaldehyde] 7 , readily available by a two‐step reaction sequence. The success of the dimerization strongly depends on the steric repulsion of the substituents vicinal to the CHO group.     

Modification of D‐glucose‐based 18‐crown‐6 ethers by phosphorylation and phosphinylation

The primary hydroxy groups of head‐tail and head‐head bis(sugar)‐based crown ethers ( 1 and 3 , respectively) were acylated by (EtO)₂P(O)Cl and Ph₂P(O)Cl in a selective manner. Cation binding ability of the bis‐phosphorylated and phosphinylated macrocycles ( 2 and 4 ) was evaluated by the picrate extraction method. Introduction of the P‐moieties led to increase of the extraction ability without significant selectivity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:267–270, 2000     

Circular DNA by “Bis‐Click” Ligation: Template‐Independent Intramolecular Circularization of Oligonucleotides with Terminal Alkynyl Groups Utilizing Bifunctional Azides

A highly effective and convenient “bis‐click” strategy was developed for the template‐independent circularization of single‐stranded oligonucleotides by employing copper(I)‐assisted azide–alkyne cycloaddition. Terminal triple bonds were incorporated at both ends of linear oligonucleotides. Alkynylated 7‐deaza‐2′‐deoxyadenosine and 2′‐deoxyuridine residues with different side chains were used in solid‐phase synthesis with phosphoramidite chemistry. The bis‐click ligation of linear 9‐ to 36‐mer oligonucleotides with 1,4‐bis(azidomethyl)benzene afforded circular DNA in a simple and selective way; azido modification of the oligonucleotide was not necessary. Short ethynyl side chains were compatible with the circularization of longer oligonucleotides, whereas octadiynyl residues were used for short 9‐mers. Compared with linear duplexes, circular bis‐click constructs exhibit a significantly increased duplex stability over their linear counterparts. The intramolecular bis‐click ligation protocol is not limited to DNA, but may also be suitable for the construction of other macrocycles, such as circular RNAs, peptides, or polysaccharides.     

meso‐3,5‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl‐Substituted Expanded Porphyrins: Synthesis,Characterization, and Optical,Electrochemical, and Photophysical Properties

Trifluoroacetic acid‐catalyzed condensation of pyrrole with electron‐deficient and sterically hindered 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)benzaldehyde results in the unexpected production of a series of meso‐3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl‐substituted expanded porphyrins including [22]sapphyrin 2 , N‐fused [22]pentaphyrin 3 , [26]hexaphyrin 4 , and intact [32]heptaphyrin 5 together with the conventional 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)porphyrin 1 . These expanded porphyrins are characterized by mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The optical and electrochemical measurements reveal a decrease in the HOMO–LUMO gap with increasing size of the conjugated macrocycles, and in accordance with the trend, the deactivation of the excited singlet state to the ground state is enhanced.     

Metallomacrocycles with a Difference: Macrocyclic Complexes with Exocyclic Ruthenium(II)‐Containing Domains

The templated synthesis of organic macrocycles containing rings of up to 96 atoms and three 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) units is described. Starting with the bpy‐centred ligands 5,5′‐bis[3‐(1,4‐dioxahept‐6‐enylphenyl)]‐2,2′‐bipyridine and 5,5′‐bis[3‐(1,4,7‐trioxadec‐9‐enylphenyl)]‐2,2′‐bipyridine, we have applied Grubbs’ methodology to couple the terminal alkene units of the coordinated ligands in [FeL₃]²⁺ complexes. Hydrogenation and demetallation of the iron(II)‐containing macrocyclic complexes results in the isolation of large organic macrocycles. The latter bind {Ru(bpy)₂} units to give macrocyclic complexes with exocyclic ruthenium(II)‐containing domains. The complex [Ru(bpy)₂(L)]²⁺ (isolated as the hexafluorophosphate salt), in which L=5,5′‐bis[3‐(1,4,7,10‐tetraoxatridec‐12‐enylphenyl)]‐2,2′‐bipyridine, undergoes intramolecular ring‐closing metathesis to yield a macrocycle which retains the exocyclic {Ru(bpy)₂} unit. The poly(ethyleneoxy) domains in the latter macrocycle readily scavenge sodium ions, as proven by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and atomic absorption spectroscopy data for the bulk sample. In addition to the new compounds, a series of model complexes have been fully characterized, and representative single‐crystal X‐ray structural data are presented for iron(II) and ruthenium(II) acyclic and macrocyclic species.     

Pyridine‐Fused Bis(Norcorrole) through Hantzsch‐Type Cyclization: Enhancement of Antiaromaticity by an Aromatic Bridge

A non‐catalytic condensation of Ni^II β‐aminonorcorrole with aryl aldehydes is shown to produce a family of pyrromethane dimers that undergo deaminative cyclization to yield pyridine‐fused bis(norcorrole)s comprising two antiaromatic macrocycles communicating by an aromatic moiety. The new compounds were characterized by spectroscopic, structural, and electrochemical methods supported by DFT calculations, all of which revealed unexpected antiaromaticity enhancement in the fused system.     

One‐Pot Approach to Organo‐Phosphorus–Chalcogen Macrocycles Incorporating Double OP(S)SCn or OP(Se)SeCn Scaffolds: A Synthetic and Structural Study

The development of new methodology for the preparation of functional macrocycles with practical applications is an important research area in macromolecular science. In this study, we report a new one‐pot route for the synthesis of a series of macro‐heterocycles by incorporating two phosphorus atoms and two chalcogen atoms and two oxygen atoms (double OP(S)SC_n or OP(Se)SeC_n scaffolds). The three‐component condensation reactions of 2,4‐diferrocenyl‐1,3,2,4‐diathiadiphosphetane 2,4‐disulfide ( FcLR , a ferrocene analogue of Lawesson's reagent) or 2,4‐bis(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,3,2,4‐dithiadiphosphetane 2,4‐disulfide ( LR , Lawesson's reagent), or 2,4‐diphenyl‐1,3,2,4‐diselenadiphosphetane 2,4‐diselenide ( WR , Woollins’ reagent), disodium alkenyl‐diols, and dihalogenated alkanes are performed, giving rise to soluble and air or moisture‐stable macrocycles in good‐to‐excellent yields (up to 92 %). This is the first systemically preparative and readily scalable example of one‐pot ring opening/ring extending reaction of three‐components to prepare phosphorus–chalcogen containing macrocycles. We also provide a systematic crystallographic study.