Template-assisted stereoselective photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid by bispyridinio-appended gamma-cyclodextrin

[reaction: see text] Four kinds of bispyridinio-appended gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) were prepared to make a molecular flask for controlling the stereoselectivity of photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate. When the photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate was carried out in the presence of A,E-bispyridinio-appended gamma-CD, the relative yield of one of the configurational isomers, the head-to-head/anti-isomer, was increased 1.8-fold compared to the corresponding yield in the presence of unmodified gamma-CD or in the absence of any gamma-CD. The optical yields of the photocyclodimerization reaction products also increased more than 10-fold by the addition of bispyridinio-appended gamma-CD compared with unmodified gamma-CD.