Water-soluble pentasulfonatocalix[5]arene: selective recognition of ditopic trimethylammonium cations by a triple non-covalent interaction

The inclusion of tetramethylammonium and ditopic trimethylammonium cations by the water-soluble pentasulfonatocalix[5]arene 1 has been studied at neutral pH by ¹H NMR and compared with the homologous tetrasulfonatocalix[4]arene 2. Unlike host 2, host 1 selectively binds the ditopic trimethylammonium ions by three different non-covalent interactions. Remarkably the flexible host 1 exhibits both more efficiency and selectivity in the complexation of ditopic methylammonium ions with respect to similar more preorganised calix[4]arene receptors.     

Heteroditopic receptors for ion-pair recognition

Ion-pair recognition is a new field of research emerging from cation and anion coordination chemistry. Specific types of heteroditopic receptor designs for ion pairs and the complexity of ion-pair binding are discussed to illustrate key concepts such as cooperativity. The importance of this area of research is reflected by the wide variety of potential applications of ion-pair receptors, including applications as membrane transport and salt solubilization agents and sensors.     

Anion dependent molecular recognition of cations

In DMF-d₇ tetrabenzimidazole cavitands 2 exist as monomeric species and vase-like conformers. Several possible arrangements of the four benzimidazole NHs are indicated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The cavitands form 1:1 inclusion complexes with tetraethyl ammonium and phosphonium cations only when strong hydrogen bonding anions like chloride or acetate are present. These complexes are stable on the NMR time scale at 295 K feature a C_2V-symmetrical arrangement of benzimidazole functions. The stability of the C_2V-symmetrical tetramethylammonium acetate complex is independent of the temperature. In contrast, tetramethylammonium and phosphonium chloride complexes exist at 233 K as several isomers. This complicated behavior is, in part, attributed to the hydrogen bonding interactions between the anions and the NH groups of benzimidazole functions.     

New ditopic receptors for alkylammonium ion complexation

New receptor molecules have been synthesized in which ,-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-diisopropylbenzene is linked to 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6, 1,10-diaza-21-crown-7 or 1,13-diaza-24-crown-8 units by ethylene or 1,4-butylene bridges. Binding abilities of the new receptors and the model compoundN,N-didecyl-1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 toward alkali metal cations and alkylammonium ions were assessed by picrate extraction. Spectral evidence for inclusion of alkylammonium ions within the receptor cavity was obtained by¹H NMR spectroscopy. From a¹H NMR titration experiment conducted in CDCL₃–CD₃OD (91), a relatively strong inclusion complex (K _a 900M^–1) of the receptor having a 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 subunit and ethylene spacers with propylammonium picrate was observed.     

Cooperative AND ion-pair recognition by heteroditopic calix[4]diquinone receptors

A new family of heteroditopic calix[4]diquinone receptors capable of the cooperative recognition of ion-pair species through a contact binding mechanism has been developed. The receptors bind contact ion pairs cooperatively, with an unprecedented AND recognition phenomenon being observed to operate in certain cases, in which receptors display no affinity for either of the individual "free" cation or anion, but bind the cation and anion ion-pair strongly. X-ray crystallographic, solution-state, and computational methods rationalize the observed recognition behavior of the receptors. It is shown that the contact ion-pair interaction occurs through a pi-stacking-mediated folding of the receptors such that the anion and cation binding sites are arranged in close proximity, while in the solid state an unusual ion-mediated receptor dimerization is observed. Molecular dynamics simulations are further used to explain the observed trends in the association constants of different ion-pair species and the mechanism of interaction.     

Tripodal pyrrolotetrathiafulvalene receptors for recognition of electron-deficient molecular guests

We report the synthesis of tripodal receptors with monopyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene arms 1a,b, based on 1,3,5-substituted 2,4,6-triethylbenzene scaffold. The three converging pyrrolotetrathiafulvalene groups form an electron rich cone-shaped binding site. Molecular hosts 1a,b are capable of binding neutral electron deficient guests in solution, as well as positively charged pyridinium species in the gas phase.     

How to improve guanidinium cations for oxoanion binding in aqueous solution?: The design of artificial peptide receptors

Guanidinium cations are a prominent recognition motif for oxoanion binding both in Nature and in abiotic systems. However, simple ion pairing based on alkyl guanidinium cations is not strong enough to achieve an efficient complexation in aqueous solvents. Nature uses the less polar microenvironment of a protein to shield the ion pair from the solvent thereby increasing complex stability. For artificial supramolecular systems other ways to improve the binding affinity of guanidium cations have to be found. We will describe herein our use of modified acylguanidinium cations with additional H-bond donor sites to achieve oxoanion binding in aqueous solvents. The thermodynamic characterization of such systems is described as well as some applications from the field of bioorganic chemistry (e.g. artificial receptors for anionic biomolecules).     

Artificial ditopic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) receptors

Covalent fusion of two artificial recognition motifs for arginine and aspartate resulted in a new class of ditopic RGD receptor molecules, 1-4. The two binding sites for the oppositely charged amino acid residues are linked by either flexible linkers of different length (in 1-3) or a rigid aromatic spacer (in 4). These spacers are shown to be critical for the complexation efficiency of the artificial hosts. If the linkers are too flexible, as in 1-3, an undesired intramolecular self-association occurs within the host and competes with, and thereby weakens, substrate binding. The rigid aromatic linker in 4 prevents any intramolecular self-association and hence efficient RGD binding is observed, even in buffered water (association constant of K(a) approximately 3000 m(-1)). A further increase in hydrophobic contacts, as in host 16, can complement the specific Coulomb attractions, thereby leading to an even more stable complex (Ka=5000 m(-1)). The recognition events have been studied with NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence titrations.     

Uranyl-salophen based ditopic receptors for the recognition of quaternary ammonium halides

Uranyl-salophen complexes endowed with aromatic side arms behave as very efficient ditopic receptors towards tetralkylammonium halides as a result of a combination of Lewis acid-base and cation-pi interactions.     

Olfactory receptors: molecular basis for recognition and discrimination of odors

The daunting task of our nose to detect and discriminate among thousands of low-molecular-weight organic compounds with diverse chemical structures and properties requires an enormous molecular recognition capacity. This is based on distinct proteins, capable of recognizing and binding odorous compounds, including odorant-binding proteins, which are supposed to shuttle odorous compounds through the nasal mucus, and most notably the odorant receptors, which are heptahelical membrane proteins coupling via G-proteins onto intracellular transduction cascades. From more than a thousand genes each olfactory neuron is supposed to express only one receptor subtype. Receptors appear to be selective but rather non-specific—i.e. a distinct odorant activates multiple receptors and individual receptors respond to multiple odorants. It is the molecular receptive range of its receptor type which determines the reaction spectrum of a sensory neuron. Populations of cells equipped with the same receptor type project their axons to common glomeruli, thereby transmitting the molecular receptive range of a receptor type into the receptive field of glomerulus. Recent insight into the molecular basis of odor recognition and the combinatorial coding principles of the olfactory system may provide some clues for the design and development of technical sensors, electronic noses. In this review more emphasis has been placed on physiological rather than analytical aspects.     

Directed molecular recognition: furfurylamine appended ditopic receptor for succinic acid

A furfurylamine appended ditopic receptor (R1) for dicarboxylic acids has been designed and synthesised. The association constants (K_a) between receptors and dicarboxylic acids have been determined using UV–vis and NMR titration techniques. The binding constant (K_a) of succinic acid with R1 was observed maximum, which implies the optimum chain length selectivity for succinic acid. Theoretical calculation and molecular modelling using Gaussian 03 program also support the optimised receptor's cavity for succinic acid.     

Study on the synthesis and molecular recognition of new receptors for selective complexation of carboxylic acids

A new synthetic method based on the synthesis of unsymmetrical thioureas followed by double S-alkylation reaction by xylylene dibromides was used to obtain isothiouronium receptors. Their binding abilities to acetate, succinate and maleate anions were evaluated by UV-vis spectroscopic titrations in such solvents as water, acetonitrile, methanol and mixtures of acetonitrile/methanol (1:1, v/v). For simple receptor 4 with one isothiouronium group, no selectivity was observed in the complexation of the anions studied. Receptors (R) 5a-c with two thiouronium groups are able to form with all the anions studied (A) not only stable complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry but also other possessing structure of the type A_nR_m. The most reliable values of stability constants are for systems of the type maleate anion-receptor 5 and acetate-receptor 5b. However, the best selectivity in the mixed solvents is demonstrated by anion-5c system. The study indicates also that particularly 5c is preferred as a chemosensor for the maleate anion. The obtained results suggest that subtle changes in the receptor structure lead to different binding modes towards anions.     

Design and synthesis of ninhydrin-based cyclophanes as potential neutral receptors for quaternary ammonium cations

Four ninhydrin-based cyclophanes 4a, 4b, 6a, and 6b were designed and synthesized. Two rectangular type cyclophanes (4a and 4b) and two square type cyclophanes (6a and 6b) were prepared in 8-43% yields.     

Selective recognition of the ditopic trimethylammonium cations by water-soluble aminocalix[4]arene

In this Letter, the role of the depth of the cavity in the recognition processes of the guests by the hosts has been investigated. The hosts 2, 3 interact with both the cationic function and the aromatic moiety in the guests 5, 6 but with a slight preference for the cationic functions. The host 4 selectively recognizes the trimethylammonium functions of the guests 5 and 6. However, the host 1 selectively recognizes the aromatic moiety of the ditopic trimethylammonium guests 5 and 6. The recognition and orientation of the guest in the cavity of the host are directly dependent on the depth of the hydrophobic cavity of the host.     

Design of steroid-based imidazolium receptors for fluoride ion recognition

New deoxycholic acid-based cyclic receptors bearing imidazolium and benzimidazolium moieties bridged with o-xylelene and 1,8-dimethylenenaphthalene groups have been synthesized. Anion binding studies using ¹H NMR revealed that receptors having naphthalenic group as spacer exhibit very high selectivity for fluoride ion over other anions while receptors with o-xylelene group show a preference for the chloride ion.     

A ditopic ferrocene receptor for anions and cations that functions as a chromogenic molecular switch

A ferrocene-based ditopic receptor containing a urea and a benzocrown ether unit shows a remarkable colour switching (ON-and-OFF) function induced by anion and cation recognition.     

Nanoparticles: scaffolds for molecular recognition

Monolayer and mixed-monolayer protected clusters (MPCs and MMPCs) have great potential to combine molecular functionality with the intrinsic properties of nanometer-sized scaffolds. This synergy can be used to create complex functional devices, including redox-active, electronic, or magnetic storage devices, solution-based sensors, and highly efficient catalysts. This review outlines some of the recent developments in nanoscale receptors based on synthetic and nonbiological recognition elements. In these nanoparticle systems, molecular recognition is achieved by covalent attachment of receptors on the nanoparticles coupled with noncovalent interactions to target substrates. Synthetic host-guest systems, hydrogen bonding, change in redox states, pi-pi stacking, rotaxane formation, and ion recognition are the main topics covered in this review.     

A new strategy for the design of water-soluble synthetic receptors: specific recognition of DNA intercalators and diamines

Water-soluble zinc bisporphyrin receptors 1 and 2 having two Lewis acidic sites (zinc) in the hydrophobic environment consisting of alkyl chains and a bisporphyrin framework, and covered with hydrophilic exterior (twelve or eighteen carboxyl groups) were prepared. The receptors show high affinity for diamines and DNA intercalators in water where the binding constants K(a) are of the order of 10(7) and 10(8) M(-1), respectively. Diamines and DNA intercalators are bound to the receptor through different mechanisms. Diamines are bound through hydrophobic interactions and zinc-nitrogen interactions, while DNA intercalators are bound through hydrophobic interactions and charge-transfer interactions. Flexible alkyl chains can make van der Waals contact with guests and create a hydrophobic environment around the bound guest by an induced-fit-type mechanism. For the binding of DNA intercalators, the following features are noteworthy: 1). Binding constants are similar between the zinc porphyrins and zinc-free porphyrins; 2). the binding constant is larger for the guest having the lower LUMO; this indicates the important contribution of charge-transfer interactions to binding; 3). the hydrophobic and cationic nature of DNA intercalators is substantially important, and 4). higher ionic strength reduced the binding affinities; this shows a moderate contribution of electrostatic interactions. The conformational instability of the receptors also contributes to the tight binding: hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions cannot both be favorable at the same time in the guest-free receptor. Enthalpy-entropy compensation observed for the binding of diamines and DNA intercalators is characterized by a relatively small slope (alpha=0.74) and a large intercept (beta=7.75 kcal mol(-1)) in the DeltaH degrees versus TDeltaS degrees plot; this shows that a conformational change of receptors and a significant desolvation occur upon binding. The receptor can competitively bind to propidium iodide to deprive DNA of the intercalated propidium iodide. These features of water-soluble receptors consisting of a rigid framework and flexible side chains with a large solvent-accessible area are in contrast to highly preorganized rigid receptors, and they can provide useful guidelines for rational design of induced-fit artificial receptors in water.