Specific molecular recognition by cage-type cyclophanes having a helically twisted and cylindrical internal cavity

Cage-type cyclophanes, which are constructed with two rigid 2,11,20-triaza[3.3.3]paracyclophane skeletons and three chiral bridging components, were prepared. Temperature-dependent ¹H NMR measurements in (CD₃)₂SO indicate that the molecular framework of the cage-type cyclophane having a cylindrical internal cavity is more rigid than those of the corresponding non-cage hosts. The guest-binding behavior of the cage-type hosts toward various guests was examined by electronic absorption spectroscopy and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. The present hosts were found to bind anionic guests, such as 1-hydroxy-2,4-dinitronaphthalene-7-sulfonate, 2-hydroxy-1-(phenylazo)naphthalene-6,8-disulfonate, 2,7-bis[(4-methyl-2-sulfophenyl)azo]-1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonate, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, 6-p-toluidinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate, naphthalene-1-sulfonate, and 3,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)benzene-1-sulfonate, to form host-guest complexes. The computer-aided molecular modeling study reveals that the three pyridinium moieties bound to the chiral - and -valine residues in the bridging segments undergo chiral twist in the same directions. However, the twisted direction in the host bearing -valine residues is opposite to that evaluated for the host bearing -valine residues so that the former and latter cage-type cyclophanes furnish M and P-helical cavities, respectively, as reflected in their circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The chirality-based molecular recognition of the cage-type hosts toward enantiomeric guests such as bilirubin-IX and pamoic acid in aqueous media was investigated by CD spectroscopy.