Folding-promoted TBAX-mediated selective demethylation of methoxybenzene-based macrocyclic aromatic pentamers

Described in this study is the ability of tetrabutylammonium salts (TBAX) to mediate an efficient mono- or di-demethylation removing one or two out of five aromatic methoxy methyl groups situated in similar chemical microenvironments in a H-bonded macrocyclic aromatic pentamer. These demethylations are found to be both chemo- and regioselective, and promoted by the H-bonding directed folding of the macrocyclic backbone.     

Bipyridyl- and biphenyl-DNA: a recognition motif based on interstrand aromatic stacking

The synthesis and incorporation into oligonucleotides of C-nucleosides containing the two aromatic, non-hydrogen-bonding nucleobase substitutes biphenyl (I) and bipyridyl (Y) are described. Their homo- and hetero-recognition properties in different sequential arrangements were then investigated via UV-melting curve analysis, gel mobility assays, CD- and NMR spectroscopy. An NMR analysis of a dodecamer duplex containing one biphenyl pair in the center, as well as CD data on duplexes with multiple insertions provide further evidence for the zipper-like interstrand stacking motif that we proposed earlier based on molecular modeling. UV-thermal melting experiments with duplexes containing one to up to seven I- or Y base pairs revealed a constant increase in T(m) in the case of I and a constant decrease for Y. Mixed I/Y base pairs lead to stabilities in between the homoseries. Insertion of alternating I/abasic site- or Y/abasic site pairs strongly decreases the thermal stability of duplexes. Asymmetric distribution of I- or Y residues on either strand of the duplex were also investigated in this context. Duplexes with three natural base pairs at both ends and 50 % of I pairs in the center are still readily formed, while duplexes with blunt ended I pairs tend to aggregate unspecifically. Duplexes with one natural overhang at the end of a I-I base pair tract can both aggregate or form ordered duplexes, depending on the nature of the natural bases in the overhang.     

POCl3-mediated H-bonding-directed one-pot synthesis of macrocyclic pentamers, strained hexamers and highly strained heptamers

Previously we have shown that POCl3-mediated H-bonding-directed one-pot macrocyclization allows for the highly selective preparation of five-residue macrocycles as the predominant product with low yields of hexamers and an undetectable occurrence of both tetramers and heptamers.Replacing the interiorly arrayed methyl groups with ethyl groups in these 4-7 residue macrocycles alters the relative stability order among them.Specifically,ethoxy-substituted six-residue macrocycle,rather than pentamer,turns out to be computationally the most stable,suggesting that ethoxy-containing hexamer possibly can be formed as the major product under suitable conditions.We have investigated this possibility by varying reaction temperatures and concentrations,invariably affording pentamer as the major macrocycle with strained circular hexamers and highly strained circular heptamers produced in substantial amounts.This discrepancy can be reasonably explained on the basis of bimolecular reactions between two oligomers higher than monomers via kinetic simulations.In this scenario,the acyclic pentamer is kinetically "trapped" to undergo an intramolecular cyclization to yield circular pentamer,rather than to produce acyclic hexamer.As a result,acyclic hexamer precursor is generated largely from sterically demanding bimolecular reactions between a dimer and a tetramer,or between two trimers that are kinetically slower than the pentamer-producing chain-growth reactions.We additionally found that one-pot macrocyclization proceeds to the largest extent at 40 ℃,an intriguing finding that highlights the low reactivities of acid chloride and amine groups in these H-bond-enforced acyclic oligomeric intermediates.     

Highly selective adenine recognition by a macrocyclic host molecule employing multiple hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions

A new macrocyclic host, which contains a 2,6-bis(oxazol-2-yl)pyridine unit and a 2,7-dialkoxynaphthalene unit tethered by the appropriate length of alkyl side chains is prepared. This host undergoes highly selective complex formation with an adenine nucleobase, accompanied by a fluorescence response in CHCl₃ by a combination of multiple hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions.     

Synthesis of new silica gel adsorbent anchored with macrocyclic receptors for specific recognition of cesium cation

In this article, a new class of silica gel adsorbent functionalized with macrocyclic receptors was developed for cesium recognition. A calixcrown molecule, with strong affinity to cesium cation, was decorated precisely at the 1,3-alternate benzene rings with reactive amino substituents, followed by the anchoring to the silica matrix to obtain a high functionalization degree. Structural characterization of the monomers and the organosilicas was carried out by ¹H/¹³C NMR, ²⁹Si/¹³C solid-state NMR, and FT-IR spectra. Besides, XPS survey, BET, TGA and ESEM were employed to investigate the surface property, thermal stability and micro-morphology of the organosilicas. Due to the host–guest interaction between the calixcrown receptor and cesium cation, efficient separation of cesium in the presence of competing alkali metals including sodium and potassium was realized. Mechanism regarding the recognition effect was discussed. The calixcrown-grafted organosilica material possesses the potential to be applied for the separation of cesium in radioactive liquid waste.     

Sulfone-linked paracyclophanes via macrocyclic aromatic thioethers: synthetic and structural investigations

Reaction of 4,4'-sulfonylbis(benzenethiol) with 4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone under pseudo-high-dilution conditions leads to macrocyclic thioethersulfones [-S-Ar-SO2-Ar-]n (Ar = 1,4-phenylene). These include a highly strained [1+1] cyclodimer (n = 2), a cyclotrimer resulting from thioetherexchange reactions, and a [2+2] cyclotetramer which can adopt two entirely different conformations in the crystalline state, one having molecular D2d ("tennis-ball-seam") symmetry. The same type of reaction is successful using 4,4'-thiobis(benzenethiol) instead of 4,4'-sulfonylbis(benzenethiol) and affords macrocycles with a higher ratio of thioether to sulfone linkages. Exhaustive oxidation of macrocyclic thioethersulfones with hydrogen peroxide affords a series of sulfone-linked paracyclophanes, [-Ar-SO2-]4, [-Ar-SO2-]6, [-Ar-SO2-]8 and [-Ar-SO2-]12. Single crystal X-ray analysis reveals [Ar-SO2-]4 to be a near-perfect square box, whilst the cyclic hexamer [-Ar-SO2-]6 adopts a much more irregular conformation. and [-Ar-SO2-]8 displays a "double-box" structure clearly related to that of [Ar-SO2-]4.     

Multivalent macrocyclic hosts: histone surface recognition, guest binding, and delivery by cyclophane-based resorcinarene oligomers

As a new class of host for both specific proteins and hydrophobic molecular guests, cyclophane-based resorcinarene oligomers were designed on the basis of a molecular design that allows the assembly of four or 12 anionic resorcinarenes on a cyclophane skeleton. We prepared a cyclophane-based resorcinarene tetramer (4), constructed with a tetraaza[6.1.6.1]-paracyclophane skeleton and four resorcinarenes bearing heptacarboxylic acid residues that connect to the macrocycle through amide linkages. In addition, we prepared an extended analogical dodecamer (12), which was constructed with a pentakis(cyclophane) skeleton and 12 resorcinarenes. The cyclophane-based resorcinarene oligomers exhibited potent recognition capabilities toward histone, a small basic protein of eukaryotic chromatins. The binding constants (K) of cyclophane-based resorcinarene tetramer 4 and dodecamer 12 with histone were determined to be 1.3x107 and 8.4x107 M-1, respectively, by means of surface plasmon resonance measurements. The K values of 4 and 12 with histone were 31- and 200-fold larger than that of an untethered reference resorcinarene, reflecting the multivalency effects in resorcinarenes. In addition to that, cyclophane-based resorcinarene tetramer 4 and dodecamer 12 captured hydrophobic guests such as 6-p-toluidinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate, with respective binding constants of 2.4x103 and 2.5x104 M-1 in an aqueous HEPES buffer as evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, the resorcinarene oligomers were also found to act as guest carriers from the bulk aqueous phase to histone surfaces, as confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and thermal and spectroscopic properties of macrocyclic vinyl aromatic polymers

Well‐defined and narrow molecular weight distribution macrocyclic poly(2‐vinylnaphthalene) (P2VN) and poly(2‐vinyl‐9,9‐dimethylfluorene) (PDMVF) containing a single 1,4‐benzylidene or 9,10‐anthracenylidene unit have been synthesized via the potassium naphthalide initiated polymerization of the monomers followed by the end‐to‐end coupling of the resulting P2VN dianions under high‐dilution conditions with 1,4‐bis(bromomethyl)benzene or 9,10‐bis(chloromethyl)anthracene. Molecular characterization has been carried out by size exclusion chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The thermal properties show distinct differences between the cyclic and matching linear polymers, with the macrocycles showing much higher glass‐transition and decomposition temperatures. The absorption bands are both hyperchromic and hypochromic with respect to the model aromatic compounds, and this is consistent with intensity borrowing. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5488–5503, 2004     

Surface-attached sensors for cation and anion recognition

The development of surface-attached sensors for cationic and anionic guests is of intense current research interest. In addition to the environmental flexibility, robustness and reusability of such devices, surface-confined sensors typically exhibit an amplified response to target analytes owing to preorganization of the receptor. Whereas redox-active cations may be sensed by studying the cyclic voltammetry of host–guest systems containing ion-selective receptors attached to an appropriate electrode, redox-inactive ionic species require the use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, with appropriately functionalized electrodes and redox probes. Alternatively, receptors may be constructed that incorporate an electrochemical or optical reporter group within their structure to provide a macroscopic response to the presence of an ionic guest. This critical review seeks to present an up-to-date, although necessarily selective, account of the progress in the field, and provides insights into possible future developments, including the utilization of receptor–nanoparticle conjugates and mechanically interlocked receptors.     

Interaction between uracil nucleobase and phenylalanine amino acid: the role of sodium cation in stacking

The stacking interactions in the uracil:phenylalanine (U:PHE) and (U:PHE)···Na⁺ complexes have been studied at different levels of theory, in which the structures were optimized by both standard and gradient counterpoise corrected methods. The Na⁺ cation can interact with different sites of stacked U:PHE unit. The geometrical parameters of the optimized structures and the calculated binding energies reveal the influence of cation interaction on π–π stacking and vice versa. The interplay between π–π stacking and cation interaction has also been investigated by topological analysis of electron charge density using atoms in molecules (AIM) method. A good agreement between the results of AIM analysis and calculated binding energies has been observed in dimer and complexes.     

Novel chiral fluorescent macrocyclic receptors: synthesis and recognition for amino acid anions

New chiral fluorescence macrocycles 1 and 2 containing naphthalene and amino acid units were synthesized. The binding properties for amino acid anions were examined by the fluorescence and ¹H NMR spectra. The results indicated good enantioselectivity of 1 toward the N-protected phenylalanine anions.     

New crown annelated tetrathiafulvalenes: synthesis, electrochemistry, self-assembly of thiol derivatives, and metal cation recognition

The synthesis of new S(2)O(4)-crown annelated tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives substituted with one terminal thiol group is described. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these compounds have been assembled on gold and platinum surfaces, the latter substrate giving improved quality films. SAMs of TTF derivative 16b are the most stable of those we have studied. Electrochemical data for SAMs of 5a, 5b, 8, 16a, and 16b in acetonitrile reveal two reversible one-electron waves, typical of the TTF system; the current increased linearly with scan rate, indicating a surface wave response. SAMs of 8, 16a, and 16b exhibited an electrochemical response in aqueous electrolytes, which was observed between 50 and 100 cycles. Moreover, if the potential scanned was limited to the first TTF oxidation, the cyclic voltammetry response was observed for at least 1000 cycles. Metal complexation by the crown ionophore of the SAMs in acetonitrile has been monitored by a positive shift in the first oxidation potential of the TTF unit (maximum DeltaE(1)(1/2) = 80 mV for Ag(+)). We also report the X-ray crystal structure of TTF-crown derivative 21 bearing two hydroxymethyl substituents, synthesized during the course of this work. The structure is characterized by infinite chains of molecules linked by strong intrachain hydrogen bonds between the terminal hydroxy groups.     

The C-F...cation interaction: an ammonium complex of a hexafluoro macrocyclic cage compound

An ammonium complex of the hexafluoro cage compound 1 was isolated and its structure was elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The C-F bonds are elongated by the complexation, which is clear evidence of C-F...cation interaction. The driving force of NH4(+) inclusion is the C-F cation interaction, but the C-F...HN+ hydrogen bond does not contribute to this complexation. The crystal structure of the NH4+ complex 1 shows short C-F...HN+ contacts (2.286-2.662 A). Furthermore, it shows that closer F...H(+)(-N) distances give a larger F...H(+)-N angle. Although such structural features seem to indicate the existence of C-F...HN+ hydrogen bonds, the spectral data (1H NMR, 19F VT-NMR, and IR spectroscopy) did not support the existence of hydrogen bonds. Thermodynamic parameters, log K(s) (4.6 +/- 0.1, 298 K), deltaH (-5.3 +/- 0.1 kcal mol(-1)), and deltaS (3.2 +/- 0.3 cal mol(-1) K(-1)), of the complexation were obtained in CDCl3/CD3CN mixture.     

Neomycin-capped aromatic platforms: quadruplex DNA recognition and telomerase inhibition

A series of aminoglycoside-capped macrocyclic structures has been prepared using intramolecular bis-tethering of neomycin on three aromatic platforms (phenanthroline, acridine, quinacridine). Based on NMR and calculations studies, it was found that the cyclic compounds adopt a highly flexible structure without conformational restriction of the aminoglycoside moiety. FRET-melting stabilization measurements showed that the series displays moderate to high affinity for the G4-conformation of human telomeric repeats, this effect being correlated with the size of the aromatic moiety. In addition, a FRET competition assay evidenced the poor binding ability of all macrocycles for duplex DNA and a clear binding preference for loop-containing intramolecular G4 structures compared to tetramolecular parallel G4 DNA. Finally, TRAP experiments demonstrated that the best G4-binder (quinacridine ) is also a potent and selective telomerase inhibitor with an IC(50) in the submicromolar range (200 nM).     

含二苯联恶二唑大环多胺及其配合物的合成

用2,5-双-(间甲酰基苯基)-1,3,4-恶二唑和相应的二胺，经[2+2]缩合环化反应，合成了三个含二苯联恶二唑的新型大环多胺4、5和7以及5的钡络合物。     

Ditopic redox-active polyferrocenyl zinc(II) dithiocarbamate macrocyclic receptors: synthesis, coordination and electrochemical recognition properties

The synthesis of a range of ditopic polyferrocenyl zinc(II) dithiocarbamate macrocyclic receptors containing ferrocene groups on the macrocycle's periphery and/or as part of the cyclic cavity is reported. The assemblies have been characterised by a range of spectroscopic techniques, electrochemical studies and in two cases by X-ray structure determination. The ability of these host systems to bind and sense electrochemically anionic guest species, isonicotinate and benzoate, and neutral 4-picoline guest was examined by 1H NMR and cyclic voltammetric titration studies. The strongest association was found between the isonicotinate anion and a dinuclear zinc(II) receptor whose macrocyclic cavity is of complementary size to complex this bidentate guest species in a cooperative manner. Cyclic voltammetric studies demonstrated that all receptors can electrochemically sense the binding of isonicotinate and benzoate via significant cathodic perturbations of the respective ferrocene redox couple.     

Poly(thiophenes) derivatized with linear and macrocyclic polyethers: from cation detection to molecular actuation

The association of linear or macrocyclic polyethers with the electronic properties of the π-conjugated polythiophene backbone leads to functional conducting polymers that exhibit metal cation dependent electronic properties. Based on this concept, various classes of cation sensors have been proposed and investigated for almost two decades. The interactions of metal cations with linear or macrocyclic polyether functional groups lead to modifications of the electronic properties of the π-conjugated backbone through various mechanisms including direct electronic effects on a single conjugated chain, collective electrochemical processes, or conformational changes. Conjugated polymers and oligomers representative of these various processes are discussed with an emphasis on recent examples of derivatized conjugated systems in which the interactions between metal cations and polyether groups serve as driving force to create molecular motion in conjugated systems.