The dynamic chemistry of molecular borromean rings and Solomon knots

The dynamic solution equilibria between molecular Borromean rings (BRs) and Solomon knots (SKs), assembled from transition metal‐templated macrocycles, consisting of exo‐bidentate bipyridyl and endo‐tridentate diiminopyridyl ligands, have been examined with respect to the choice of the metal template and reaction conditions employed in the synthesis of the metalated BRs, otherwise known as Borromeates. Three new Borromeates, their syntheses templated by Cu^II, Co^II, and Mn^II, have been characterized extensively (two by X‐ray crystallography) to the extent that the metal centers in the assemblies have been shown to be distanced sufficiently from each other not to communicate. The solid‐state structure of the Co^II–Borromeate reveals that six MeOH molecules, arranged in a [O? H???O] hydrogen bonded, chair‐like conformation, are located within its oxophilic central cavity. When a mixture of Cu^II and Zn^II is used as the source of templation, there exists a dynamic equilibrium, in MeOH at room temperature, between a mixed‐metal BR and a SK, from which the latter has been fractionally crystallized. By employing appropriate synthetic protocols with Zn^II or Cd^II as the template, significant amounts of SKs are formed alongside BRs. Modified crystallization conditions resulted in the isolation of both an all‐zinc BR and an all‐zinc SK, crystals of which can be separated manually, leading to the full characterization of the all‐zinc SK by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. This doubly interlocked [2]catenate has been identified retrospectively in recorded spectra, where it was attributed previously to a Borromeate with a Zn^II cation coordinated to the oxophilic interior walls of the ensemble. Interestingly, these Zn^II‐templated assemblies do not interconvert in MeOH at room temperature, indicating the significant influence of both the metal template and solvent on the solution equilibria. It would also appear that d¹⁰ metal ions favor SK formation—no evidence of Cu^II‐, Co^II‐, or Mn^II‐templated SKs has been found, yet a 1:0.9 ratio of BR:SK has been identified by ¹H NMR spectroscopy when Cd^II is used as the template.     

Multicomponent dynamic covalent assembly of a rhombicuboctahedral nanocapsule

Molecular container compounds have a range of potential applications in chemical and biological sciences, most notably as nanoreactors, drug delivery devices, and storage materials. We report a highly efficient dynamic covalent chemistry approach for the synthesis of covalent rhombicuboctahedral nanocapsule 1 from 14 square- and triangular-shaped molecular components. The nanocapsule is obtained in a one-pot reaction in high yield and high purity, and has a solvodynamic diameter of 3.9 nm. In our approach, six formyl cavitands and eight 1,3,5-tris(p-aminophenyl)benzene molecules are assembled into a molecular rhombicuboctahedron through twenty four newly formed dynamic imine bonds. Binding studies show that 1 encapsulates tetraalkylammonium salts in toluene. We also discuss the growth mechanism of this nanocapsule.     

Kinetic versus thermodynamic control during the formation of [2]rotaxanes by a dynamic template-directed clipping process

A template-directed dynamic clipping procedure has generated a library of nine [2]rotaxanes that have been formed from three dialkylammonium salts-acting as the dumbbell-shaped components-and three dynamic, imino bond-containing, [24]crown-8-like macrocycles-acting as the ring-shaped components-which are themselves assembled from three dialdehydes and one diamine. The rates of formation of these [2]rotaxanes differ dramatically, from minutes to days depending on the choice of dialkylammonium ion and dialdehyde, as do their thermodynamic stabilities. Generally, [2]rotaxanes formed by using 2,6-diformylpyridine as the dialdehyde component, or bis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)ammonium hexafluorophosphate as the dumbbell-shaped component, assembled the most rapidly. Those rotaxanes containing this particular electron-deficient dumbbell-shaped unit, or 2,5-diformylfuran units in the macroring, were the most stable thermodynamically. The relative thermodynamic stabilities of all nine of the [2]rotaxanes were determined by competition experiments that were monitored by (1)H NMR spectroscopy.     

Cyclic [2]Catenane Dimers,Trimers, and Tetramers

Dimeric, trimeric, and tetrameric cyclic [2]catenanes have been prepared directly through one‐pot sodium‐ion‐templated dynamic imine formation from a diamine and a tetraaldehyde. NaBH₄ mediated reduction of the labile imino bonds of these cyclic [2]catenane oligomers, followed by methylation of the resulting secondary amino groups enabled the isolation and characterization of oligomeric cyclic [2]catenanes as stable, covalently linked compounds.     

Dynamic covalent polymers

This Highlight presents an overview of the rapidly growing field of dynamic covalent polymers. This class of polymers combines intrinsic reversibility with the robustness of covalent bonds, thus enabling formation of mechanically stable, polymer‐based materials that are responsive to external stimuli. It will be discussed how the inherent dynamic nature of the dynamic covalent bonds on the molecular level can be translated to the macroscopic level of the polymer, giving access to a range of applications, such as stimuli‐responsive or self‐healing materials. A primary distinction will be made based on the type of dynamic covalent bond employed, while a secondary distinction will be based on the consideration whether the dynamic covalent bond is used in the main chain of the polymer or whether it is used to allow side chain modification of the polymer. Emphasis will be on the chemistry of the dynamic covalent bonds present in the polymer, in particular in relation to how the specific (dynamic) features of the bond impart functionality to the polymer material, and to the conditions under which this dynamic behavior is manifested. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3551–3577.     

Smart macrocyclic molecules: induced fit and ultrafast self-sorting inclusion behavior through dynamic covalent chemistry

A family of macrocycles with oligo(ethylene glycol) chains, 4O, 5O, and 6O, was developed to construct a series of new incorporated macrocycles through dynamic covalent chemistry. These flexible macrocycles exhibited excellent "self-sorting" abilities with diamine compounds, which depended on the "induced-fit" rule. For instance, the host macrocycles underwent conformational modulation to accommodate the diamine guests, affording [1+1] intramolecular addition compounds regardless of the flexibility of the diamine. These macrocycles folded themselves to fit various diamines with different chain length through modulation of the flexible polyether chain, and afforded intramolecular condensation products. However, if the chain of the diamine was too long and rigid, oligomers or polymers were obtained from the mixture of the macromolecule and the diamine. All results demonstrated that inclusion compounds involving conformationally suitable aromatic diamines were thermodynamically favorable candidates in the mixture due to the restriction of the macrocycle size. Furthermore, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of self-sorting behaviors of both mixed 4O-5O and 4O-6O systems were investigated in detail. Finally, theoretical calculations were also employed to further understand such self-sorting behavior, and indicated that the large enthalpy change of H(2)NArArNH(2)@4O is the driving force for the sorting behavior. Our system may provide a model to further understand the principle of biomolecules with high specificity due only to their conformational self-adjusting ability.     

A dynamic tricopper double helicate

The reaction between 8-aminoquinoline, 1,10-phenantholine-2,9-dicarbaldehyde, and copper(I) tetrafluoroborate gave a quantitative yield of a tricopper double helicate. The presence of dynamic covalent imine (C=N) bonds allowed this assembly to participate in two reactions not previously known in helicate chemistry: 1) It could be prepared through subcomponent substitution from a dicopper double helicate that contained aniline residues. An electron-poor aniline was quantitatively displaced; a more electron-rich aniline competed effectively with the aminoquinoline, setting up an equilibrium between dicopper and tricopper helicates that could be displaced towards the tricopper through the addition of further copper(I). 2) Both dicopper and tricopper helicates could be prepared simultaneously from a mixture of phenanthroline dialdehyde, aniline, and aminoquinoline, which contained all possible imine condensation products in equilibrium. Following the addition of copper(I), thermodynamic equilibration on both covalent and coordinative levels eliminated all partially-formed and mixed imine ligands from the mixture, leaving the helicates as exclusive products.     

Self-assembled multivalency: dynamic ligand arrays for high-affinity binding

Multivalency is a powerful strategy for achieving high-affinity molecular recognition in biological systems. Recently, attention has begun to focus on using self-assembly rather than covalent scaffold synthesis to organize multiple ligands. This approach has a number of advantages, including ease of synthesis/assembly, tunability of nanostructure morphology and ligands, potential to incorporate multiple active units, and the responsive nature of self-assembly. We suggest that self-assembled multivalency is a strategy of fundamental importance in the design of synthetic nanosystems to intervene in biological pathways and has potential applications in nanomedicine.     

The influence of constitutional isomerism and change on molecular recognition processes

Three constitutionally isomeric bis(naphthylmethyl)ammonium ions, in which the two naphthyl groups are substituted 1) both at their 1-positions, 2) one at its 1-position and the other at its 2-position, and 3) both at their 2-positions, have been investigated separately in solution for their propensities to undergo spontaneous self-assembly with three different [24]crown-8 derivatives, namely, pyrido[24]crown-8 (P24C8), dipyrido[24]crown-8 (DP24C8) and dibenzo[24]crown-8 (DB24C8), in turn to form [2]pseudorotaxanes. The strengths of the 1:1 complexes depend on the composition of the secondary dialkylammonium ions and on the nature of the crown ether hosts; generally, as far as the guest cation is concerned, the 1/1- and 2/2-isomers form stronger complexes, as indicated by stability constant measurements, than the 1/2-isomer and, as far as the crown ethers are concerned, the more flexible P24C8 is a much more efficient host than either DP24C8 or DB24C8. The rates of formation of the [2]pseudorotaxanes are fast (i.e., taking no more than a few minutes) in solution with the exception of one case, that is, in which the crown ether host is DB24C8 and the guest cation is the 1/1-isomer, when it can take upwards of one month for the complexation-decomplexation equilibrium to be established at room temperature. In all cases, the equilibrium between complexed and uncomplexed species is slow on the NMR timescale, allowing the determination of stability constants to be made readily using the single-point method. X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling have been used to gain insight into ground and transition state interactions, respectively, in some of the [2]pseudorotaxanes. The relative stabilities of the three [2]pseudorotaxanes formed by each guest cation in the presence of the three crown ether hosts were also evaluated in solution by competition experiments that were monitored by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. By and large the results of the competition experiments could be predicted on the basis of the derived stability constants for the individual [2]pseudorotaxanes.