Alkali metal complexation properties of resorcinarene bis-crown ethers: effect of the crown ether functionality and preorganization on complexation

The synthesis and characterization of tetramethoxy resorcinarene tribenzo-bis-crown ethers, m- and p-TBBC6, are described. The effect of the added aromatic functionality in the crown ether bridge on the alkali metal complexation properties was investigated and compared to the properties of tetramethoxy resorcinarene bis-crown-5 (BC5) by means of ¹H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. It was found that BC5 and m-TBBC6 were capable of binding alkali metal cations (K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺), with the highest affinity toward Cs⁺ cation, while no binding was observed in the case of p-TBBC6, which confirms the significance of the complementarity and preorganization for complexation affinity.     

Resorcinarene bis-crown silver complexes and their application as antibacterial Langmuir-Blodgett films

Silver complexes of a cation binding supramolecular host, resorcinarene bis-crown (CNBC5) with propyl, nonyl, decyl and undecyl alkyl chains were investigated by NMR titration, picrate extraction and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Binding studies showed that both 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 (host-Ag(+)) complexes are present in solution with only a slight effect of the lower rim alkyl chain length on the binding constants (log K 4.0-4.2 for 1 : 2 complexes). Solid state complexes of the resorcinarene bis-crowns bearing either C(3) or C(11) chains were obtained. Single crystal X-ray analyses showed that both derivatives bind silver ions by metal-arene and Ag···O coordination from the crown ether bridges and from the solvent, and pack in layered or bilayered fashion. Furthermore, the amphiphilic nature of C11BC5 was demonstrated using the Langmuir balance technique. Langmuir-Blodgett films of the amphiphilic C11BC5-Ag complex were transferred onto a substrate and shown to possess antibacterial activity against E. coli.     

Resorcinarene Bis‐Thiacrowns: Prospective Host Molecules for Silver Encapsulation

Mixed‐donor atom tetramethoxy resorcinarene bis‐thiacrown hosts, in which the crown unit contains both hard oxygen and soft sulfur donor atoms, were synthesized for soft metal cation binding. The binding properties were investigated both in solution and in the solid state by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. It was found that the resorcinarene bis‐thiacrowns were able to complex silver cations with remarkable affinity forming readily 1:2 host–guest complexes in solution. The solid state structures also revealed that the bis‐thiacrowns form silver complexes in an unanticipated endo‐ and exo‐cavity fashion within the same host molecule. Both the solution and solid state studies indicated the sulfur atoms to be the major contributing donor atoms in forming the binding interactions with silver cations.     

The Structural Diversity of Benzofuran Resorcinarene Leads to Enhanced Fluorescence

An unexpected and previously unknown resorcinarene mono‐crown with a fused benzofuran moiety in its macrocyclic core was obtained as a byproduct from a bridging reaction of tetramethoxy resorcinarene with tetraethylene glycol ditosylate. The formation of the fused benzofuran moiety in the resorcinarene macrocycle resulted in a unique rigid and puckered boat conformation, as shown by XRD studies in the solid state. Modification of the macrocycle was also observed to affect the photophysical properties in solution by enhancing the fluorescence brightness compared with a conventional resorcinarene macrocycle. The fluorescent properties enabled unique detection of structural features, that is, the rigid boat conformation with the conjugated benzofuran system and the more flexible crown bridge part, in solution.     

Calixcrowns: synthesis and properties

The synthesis and properties of calix[n]crowns (n = 4–8), calix[n]biscrowns and their related compounds, resorcinarene crowns, have been discussed and reviewed. These macrocycles exhibit remarkable ionophoric properties toward alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, as well as, to tertiary amines. The selectivity and efficiency of calixcrowns in binding cations have been attributed to their structural features, which include substituent effects and size of the crown ether moiety and, conformation of the parent calixarene.     

Tetraphosphinitoresorcinarene complexes: dynamic clusters with silver(I) and copper(I) halides

Silver(I) and copper(I) halide derivatives of several tetrakis(diphenylphosphinito)resorcinarene ligands are reported. The complexes [resorcinarene(O(2)CR)(4)(OPPh(2))(4)(M(5)X(5))], with resorcinarene = (PhCH(2)CH(2)CHC(6)H(2))(4), R = C(6)H(11), 4-C(6)H(4)Me, C(4)H(3)S, OCH(2)CCH, or OCH(2)Ph, M = Ag, X = Cl, Br, or I, M = Cu, and X = Cl or I, contain a crownlike [P(4)M(5)X(5)] metal halide cluster. These crown clusters were found to be dynamic in solution, as studied by variable-temperature NMR, and easily fragment to give the corresponding complexes containing [P(4)M(4)X(5)](-) and [P(4)M(2)(micro-X)](+) units. Reaction of pentasilver crown clusters with triflic acid gave the corresponding disilver complexes [resorcinarene(O(2)CR)(4)(OPPh(2))(4)]Ag(2)(micro-Cl)]]CF(3)SO(3). Thus, these resorcinarene-based ligands act as a platform for the easy and reversible assembly of copper(I) and silver(I) clusters with novel structures.     

The Synthesis of Oxazaborolo-benzoxazaborinine Derivatives of Resorcinarene from (1S,2R)-ephedrine

The oxazaborolo-benzoxazaborinine derivatives (3) of resorcinarene have been synthesized from (1S,2R)-ephedrine. The reaction yields the crown and diamond conformers of the bora derivative of resorcinarene in high diastereomeric excess (de > 97%). The crystallographic structure of the crown conformer of (3) was determined.     

Calix[4]resorcinarene Ionophore in the Ion-Selective Electrodes with Plasticized Poly(vinylchloride) Membranes

Synthetic ionophore calix[4]resorcinarene was incorporated into the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plasticized membrane of an ion-selective electrode (ISE). Calixarene interactions with quaternary ammonium and alkaline metals cations in the organic and water-organic media were carefully investigated by various authors. We studied the effects of choline and Na⁺ cations present in the working solution on the ionophore which was incorporated into a membrane phase. Due to the pH sensitivity of the ionophore, a study was undertaken in a wide range of pH values. The different characteristics of calix[4]resorcinarene interactions with these cations were discovered by the ISE with the PVC plasticized membrane containing this ionophore, which respond to both the choline and Na⁺ cations due to the variation of working solution pH.     

Structural and thermodynamic aspects of complexation of a calix[4]resorcinarene with diverse cations in water-organic media

Solvation of a calix[4]resorcinarene and its anions in water-organic media of varying composition was characterized by solubility measurements, acid-base titration and X-ray structural analysis. Methanol, 2-propanol, and DMSO capable of developing calix[4]resorcinarene solvated complexes of varying structure and stability were used as the organic component. It was revealed that the influence of the organic component of water-organic solvents on the stability of guest-host complexes formed by some organic and complex cations with calix[4]resorcinarene anions depended on the structure of the complexes.     

Encapsulation of diquats by resorcinarenes: a novel staggered anion-solvent mediated hydrogen bonded capsule

Crystallisation studies of ethyl resorcinarene with diquats 2b and 3a (1,4-dimethyl-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane dibromide and 1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane dichloride, respectively) resulted in hydrogen bonded molecular capsules in which the cations are encapsulated in between the cavities of two resorcinarene molecules and anions are located in the middle of the lower rim ethyl chains.     

Nanoencapsulation of calix[4]arene inclusion complexes

A hexameric resorcinarene nanocapsule in wet CDCl3 forms inclusion complexes of calix[4]arene with tetramethylammonium and trimethylsulfoxonium cations to give highly stable Russian-doll-type multicomponent assemblies. The 2D NOESY experiments revealed the size of the assembly, the close proximity of the encapsulated calix[4]arene molecule to the resorcinarene molecules of the capsule, and the inclusion of the tetramethylammonium cation in the calix[4]arene cavity.     

Enantioselective recognition of phenylalanine by a chiral amphiphilic macrocycle at the air-water interface: a copper-mediated mechanism

The synthesis of a new chiral amphiphilic calix[4]resorcinarene, tetrakis(N-methylprolyl)tetraundecylcalix[4]resorcinarene (L-RA-Pro), bearing four L-prolyl moieties at the macrocyclic upper rim and four undecyl chains at the lower rim is described. This synthesis has been carried out via a Mannich-type reaction of L-proline and formaldehyde. It has been shown by means of Langmuir balance technique that L-RA-Pro self-assemble as well-defined monomolecular layers at the air-water interface. The effect of various cations on the stability of these monolayers has been studied. The experiments reveal that while there is a slight stabilization effect of K+, Cd2+, Co2+, Mg2+, and Ni2+, there is a high decrease in the collapse pressure in the presence of Cu(II) cation, showing that monolayers of L-RA-Pro, formed at the air-water interface, have a certain selectivity for copper(II) ions with regard to other cations tested. This supramolecular complex exhibits enantioselective recognition properties vs phenylalanine; the mechanism of this interaction is discussed.     

Cation complexation behavior of pyrene- and anthracene-appended new crown ether derivatives

Pyrene- and anthracene-appended new crown ether derivatives have been synthesized by Schiff's base reaction, and cation complexation behavior was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. Based on photo-induced electron transfer and intramolecular charge transfer mechanism, the host molecules emit stronger fluorescence in the presence of various cations Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+) and NH(4)(+) since the complexation between guest cations and crown ether compounds inhibit partial electron transfer from the nitrogen atom to the chromophores and subsequently fluorescence is enhanced. The binding constants were estimated from the plots of the fraction of binding sites filled for crown ether compound as a function of free-ion concentration. Results show that 15-crown-5 derivatives exhibit higher binding ability with sodium cations while 18-crown-6 derivatives had higher affinity for potassium cations, which is consistent with the hole-size relationship of the crown ethers. Ammonium ion complexation caused largest fluorescence enhancement. It is understood that ammonium ion cannot only complex with crown ether, but also interact directly with the lone pair electrons of nitrogen atom in C=N bond so that electron transfer from the nitrogen atom to chromophores is further inhibited.     

Electrochemical investigation of nano-baskets of calix[4]-1,3-crowns-5,6 complexes

Four nano-baskets of calixarene including cone 25,27-di(carboxymethoxy)calix[4]arene-crown-5, 1,3-alternate 25,27-di[carboxymethoxy]-calix[4]arene-crown-5, cone 25,27-bis[carboxymethoxy]calix[4]arene-crown-6 and 1,3-alternate 25,27-di[carboxymethoxy]-calix[4]arene-crown-6 were synthesized and their binding abilities towards alkali and alkaline earth metals as well as some lanthanides were studied using differential pulse voltammetry. The novelty of this study was investigation of those macrocyclic complexes by voltammetric behaviors of two acidic moieties in each scaffold during complexation of crown ether ring. Their voltammetric behaviors were closely related to the complex formation by entrapment of cation into crown ether cavity and ion–dipole interaction between cation and acidic moieties in calixcrowns. The results revealed the selective changes in voltammetric behavior of synthesized scaffolds toward the cations. Moreover, the position of crown ether in 1,3-alternate instead of cone enhanced the domain of binding ability to more cations. Furthermore, it was shown that those carboxylic acid moieties, which were far from the crown ether ring in the 1,3-alternate, did not affected by encapsulated cations in the coordination space of crown ether and showed no voltammetric behavior.     

Synthesis of Double-Armed Benzo-15-crown-5 and Their Complexation Thermodynamics with Alkali Cations

A series of double-armed benzo-15-crown-5 lariats (3–8) have been synthesized by the reaction of 4′, 5′-bis(bromomethyl)-benzo-15-crown-5 (2) with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, phenol, 4-chlorophenol, 4-methoxyphenol, 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and 4-acetamidophenol in 43 ~ 82% yields, respectively. The complex stability constants (K _S) and thermodynamic parameters for the stoichiometric 1:1 and/or 1:2 complexes of benzo-15-crown-5 1 and double-armed crown ethers 3–8 with alkali cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺) have been determined in methanol–water (V/V=8:2) at 25 °C by means of microcalorimetric titrations. As compared with the parent benzo-15-crown-5 1, double-armed crown ethers 3–8 show unremarkable changes in the complex stability constants upon complexation with Na⁺, but present significantly enhanced binding ability toward cations larger than the crown cavity by the secondly sandwich complexation. Thermodynamically, the sandwich complexations of crown ethers 3-8 with cations are mostly enthalpy-driven processes accompanied with a moderate entropy loss. The binding ability and selectivity of cations by the double-armed crown ethers are discussed from the viewpoints of the electron density, additional binding site, softness, spatial arrangement, and especially the cooperative binding of two crown ether molecules toward one metal ion.     

Conductance studies of salt solutions in the presence of poly(vinylbenzo crown ethers)

The conductance of acetone and methyl ethyl ketone solutions of tetraphenylborate salts in the presence of homopolymers and styrene copolymers of vinylbenzo-15-crown-5 and vinylbenzo-18-crown-6 was studied, and the results compared with data obtained for crown ethers. Polycations are formed on binding cations to the poly(crown ethers), and the conductance behavior of the polyelectrolytes depends on the nature of the cation-crown complex and the spacing between crown moieties which in turn determines the charge density on the polymer chain. The compositions of the crown-cation complexes were determined for crown ethers. The complex formation constants of sodium and potassium cations to poly(vinylbenzo-18-crown-6) were found to change as more cations bind to the chain. This is not the case for the copolymers where the crown ligands are spaced farther apart. A mixture of poly(vinylbenzo-15-crown-5) and 10^?3M potassium tetraphenylborate in methyl ethyl ketone or acetone has a minimum conductance at a crown to cation ratio of 3.0, but the conductance rapidly increases on addition of crown ether. This was used to qualitatively determine the binding efficiency of a series of crown ethers since the rate of increase in the conductance is a measure of the binding ability of the crown ether to the cation.     

含嘧啶环的双冠醚 V.双冠醚为载体的碱金属离子选择性电极的研究

本文报道由５－硝基－６－三氟甲基嘧啶环桥联苯并－１２－冠－４、苯并－１５－冠－５和苯并－１８－冠－６的三种新的双冠醚的合成。用它们作为载体分别制成钠、钾和铯离子选择性电极，测定了电极的响应功能、选择性系数和适用的ｐＨ范围。结果表明三种电极都有较好的性能。     

Properties of cis- and trans-bis(crown ether)s for complexation and extraction of alkali metal picrates

The properties of cis- and trans-bis(crown ether)s containing benzo-15-crown-5 or benzo-18-crown-6 units as complexants and extractants for alkali metal picrates have been studied. The optical spectra suggest that the cis-bis(crown ether)s can form intramolecular 2:1 crown ether unit/cation complexes with particular metal cations easily, while the trans-bis(crown ether)s can form only 1:1 crown ether unit/cation complexes because of the unfavourable trans configuration for the formation of the 2:1 complexes. It was found that the cis isomer possesses much higher extractive power than the trans isomer for the metal cations, which also reflects their complexing properties. The extraction equilibrium constants and thermodynamic quantities have been also evaluated, and the effect of the stereochemical structure of the bis(crown ether) on the complexing and extractive properties is discussed.     

冠醚配合物热力学性质的研究 X: 用NMR研究15-冠-5-衍生物与钠离子的配位反应

用^2^3Na NMR研究了15-冠-5(15C5), 2,3-苯并-15-冠-5(B-15C5), 2,3-苯并-6-甲基-15-冠-5(BCl-15C5), 2,3-苯并-8,12-二甲基-15-冠-5(BC2-15C5)在丙酮中与Na^+的配位反应, 由此探索甲基的影响, 实验结果表明, 当在金属盐溶液中加入冠醚, 配体为15C5时, 体系表观化学位移移至低场, 配体为B-15C5, BC1-15C5, BC2-15C5时, 体系在表观化学位移移至高场, 后者与苯并-18-冠-6及其甲基衍生物不同, 这是由于苯环在空间排布不同所致, 用Newton-Raphson法和描坑法(Pit-mapping)拟合实验数据, 发现BC1-15C5和BC2-15C5除形成NaL^+和NaL2^+外还有不稳定的Na3L2^3^+形成。本文对形成过程和生成NaL^+反应的平衡常数lgK11与甲基数的关系亦作了讨论, lgK11与甲基数目n近似成直线关系, 可用下式表示: lgK11=3.50-0.80n, n=0,1,2。     

Synthesis of Double-Armed Benzo-15-crown-5 and Their Complexation Thermodynamics with Alkali Cations

A series of double-armed benzo-15-crown-5 lariats (3–8) have been synthesized by the reaction of 4′, 5′-bis(bromomethyl)-benzo-15-crown-5 (2) with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, phenol, 4-chlorophenol, 4-methoxyphenol, 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and 4-acetamidophenol in 43 ~ 82% yields, respectively. The complex stability constants (K _S) and thermodynamic parameters for the stoichiometric 1:1 and/or 1:2 complexes of benzo-15-crown-5 1 and double-armed crown ethers 3–8 with alkali cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺) have been determined in methanol–water (V/V=8:2) at 25 °C by means of microcalorimetric titrations. As compared with the parent benzo-15-crown-5 1, double-armed crown ethers 3–8 show unremarkable changes in the complex stability constants upon complexation with Na⁺, but present significantly enhanced binding ability toward cations larger than the crown cavity by the secondly sandwich complexation. Thermodynamically, the sandwich complexations of crown ethers 3-8 with cations are mostly enthalpy-driven processes accompanied with a moderate entropy loss. The binding ability and selectivity of cations by the double-armed crown ethers are discussed from the viewpoints of the electron density, additional binding site, softness, spatial arrangement, and especially the cooperative binding of two crown ether molecules toward one metal ion.Graphical Abstract Synthesis of Double-Armed Benzo-15-crown-5 and Their Complexation Thermodynamics with Alkali CationsYU LIU*, JIAN-RONG HAN, ZHONG-YU DUAN and HENG-YI ZHANG This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected issue number.