Self-assembled ionophores from isoguanosine: diffusion NMR spectroscopy clarifies cation's and anion's influence on supramolecular structure

Cation-templated self-assembly of the lipophilic isoguanosine (isoG 1) with different monovalent cations (M(+)=Li(+), Na(+), K(+), NH(4) (+), and Cs(+)) was studied in solvents of different polarity by using diffusion NMR spectroscopy. Previous studies that did not use diffusion NMR techniques concluded that isoG 1 forms both pentamers (isoG 1)(5)M(+) and decamers (isoG 1)(10)M(+) in the presence of alkali-metal cations. The present diffusion NMR studies demonstrate, however, that isoG 1 does not form (isoG 1)(5)M(+) pentamers. In fact, the diffusion NMR data indicates that both doubly charged decamers of formula (isoG 1)(10)2 M(+) and singly charged decamers, (isoG 1)(10)M(+), are formed with lithium, sodium, potassium, and ammonium tetraphenylborate salts (LiB(Ph)(4), KB(Ph)(4), NaB(Ph)(4) and NH(4)B(Ph)(4)), depending on the isoG 1:salt stoichiometry of the solution. In the presence of CsB(Ph)(4), isoG 1 affords only the singly charged decamers (isoG 1)(10)Cs(+). By monitoring the diffusion coefficient of the B(Ph)(4) (-) ion in the different mixtures of solvents, we also concluded that the anion is more strongly associated to the doubly charged decamers (isoG 1)(10)2 M(+) than to the singly charged decamers (isoG 1)(10)M(+). The (isoG 1)(10)2 M(+) species can, however, exist in solution without the mediation of the anion. This last conclusion was supported by the finding that the doubly charged decamers (isoG 1)(10)2 M(+) also prevail in 1:1 CD(3)CN:CDCl(3), a solvent mixture in which the B(Ph)(4) (-) ion does not interact significantly with the self-assembled complex. These diffusion measurements, which have provided new and improved structural information about these decameric isoG 1 assemblies, demonstrate the utility of combining diffusion NMR techniques with conventional NMR methods in seeking to characterize labile, multicomponent, supramolecular systems in solution, especially those with high symmetry.