Template-stereocontrolled [2 + 2] photoreactions directed by surface recognition on hydrophilic functionalized carbon materials

Supramolecular assistance either in solution or in the solid state to the regioselective synthesis of single photodimers from [2 + 2] photoreactions surface-directed by multivalent H-bonding exo-templates based on hydrophilic carbon nanomaterials is shown.

Chiral Template-Directed Regio-, Diastereo-, and Enantioselective Photodimerization of an Anthracene Derivative Assisted by Complementary Amidinium-Carboxylate Salt Bridge Formation

A series of optically active amidine dimers composed of m-terphenyl backbones joined by a variety of linkers, such as achiral and chiral p-phenylene and chiral amide linkers, were synthesized and used as templates for the regio- (head-to-tail (HT) or head-to-head (HH)), diastereo- (anti or syn), and enantioselective [4 + 4] photocyclodimerization of an achiral m-terphenyl-based carboxylic acid monomer bearing a prochiral 2-substituted anthracene at one end (1) through complementary amidinium-carboxylate salt bridges. The amidine dimers linked by p-phenylene linkages almost exclusively afforded the chiral syn-HT and anti-HH dimers at 25 °C, while those joined by amide linkers produced all four dimers. The p-phenylene-linked templates tended to enhance the syn-HT-photodimer formation at high temperatures with no significant changes in the product enantiomeric excess (ee), while the anti-HH-photodimer formation remarkably increased with the decreasing temperature accompanied by a significant enhancement of the product ee up to -86% at -50 °C. Temperature-dependent inversion of the chirality of the anti-HH dimer was observed when the chiral phenylene-linked amidine dimer was used and the product ee was changed from 22% at 50 °C to -86% at -50 °C. A similar enhancement of the enantioselectivity of the anti-HH dimer was also observed for the chiral amide-linked template, producing the anti-HH dimer with up to -88% ee at -50 °C. The observed difference in the regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselectivities due to the difference in the linker structures of the amidine dimers during the template-directed photodimerization of 1 was discussed on the basis of a reversible conformational change in the amidine dimers complexed with 1.

Interactions between photoacidic 3-hydroxynaphtho[1,2-b]quinolizinium and cucurbit[7]uril: Influence on acidity in the ground and excited state

3-Hydroxynaphtho[1,2-b]quinolizinium was synthesized by cyclodehydration route and its optical properties in different media were investigated. The absorption and emission spectra of this compound depend on the pH of the solution. Thus, at higher pH values the deprotonation yields a merocyanine-type dye that exhibits significantly red-shifted absorption bands and causes a dual emisson, i.e., a combination of emission bands of the hydroxyquinolizinium and its deprotonated form. Whereas this compound is a weak acid in the ground state (pK_a = 7.9), it has a strongly increased acidity in the excited state (pK_a^* = 0.4). As a result, the blue-shifted fluorescence of the hydroxyquinolizinium becomes dominant only under strongly acidic conditions. In addition, it is shown that 3-hydroxynaphtho[1,2-b]quinolizinium binds to cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) with moderate affinity (K_b = 1.8 × 10⁴ M^-1, pH 5) and that the pK_a and pK_a^* values of this ligand increase by about two to three orders of magnitude, respectively, when bound to CB[7].

A supramolecular approach to controlling the behavior of excited states

The use of supramolecular interactions to control the reactivity of excited states is discussed with emphasis on covalent bond formation and catalysis. The latter is shown to apply both to the synthesis of organic compounds as well as to the preparation of inorganic materials.

Template-assisted photodimerization of N-unprotected uracil derivatives: selective formation of the cis–syn photodimer

A UV light-induced photodimerization of 5-[(imidazol-1-yl)methyl]uracil using glutamate- and aspartate-derived cyclic dipeptides (2,5-diketopiperazines – DKPs) as templates was investigated.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Cyclobutanes by Olefin [2 + 2] Photocycloaddition Reactions

The [2 + 2] photocycloaddition is undisputedly the most important and most frequently used photochemical reaction. In this review, it is attempted to cover all recent aspects of [2 + 2] photocycloaddition chemistry with an emphasis on synthetically relevant, regio-, and stereoselective reactions. The review aims to comprehensively discuss relevant work, which was done in the field in the last 20 years (i.e., from 1995 to 2015). Organization of the data follows a subdivision according to mechanism and substrate classes. Cu(I) and PET (photoinduced electron transfer) catalysis are treated separately in sections 2 and 4 , whereas the vast majority of photocycloaddition reactions which occur by direct excitation or sensitization are divided within section 3 into individual subsections according to the photochemically excited olefin.

Dual Catalysis Strategies in Photochemical Synthesis

The interaction between an electronically excited photocatalyst and an organic molecule can result in the genertion of a diverse array of reactive intermediates that can be manipulated in a variety of ways to result in synthetically useful bond constructions. This Review summarizes dual-catalyst strategies that have been applied to synthetic photochemistry. Mechanistically distinct modes of photocatalysis are discussed, including photoinduced electron transfer, hydrogen atom transfer, and energy transfer. We focus upon the cooperative interactions of photocatalysts with redox mediators, Lewis and Brønsted acids, organocatalysts, enzymes, and transition metal complexes.

Sequence-Specific DNA Photosplitting of Crosslinked DNAs Containing the 3-Cyanovinylcarbazole Nucleoside by Using DNA Strand Displacement

An oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) containing the ultrafast reversible 3-cyanovinylcarbazole ((CNV) K) photo-crosslinker was photo-crosslinked to a complementary strand upon exposure to 366 nm irradiation and photosplit by use of 312 nm irradiation. In this paper we report that the photoreaction of (CNV) K on irradiation at 366 nm involves a photostationary state and that its reaction can be controlled by temperature. Guided by this new insight, we proposed and have now demonstrated previously unknown photosplitting of (CNV) K aided by DNA strand displacement as an alternative to heating. The photo-crosslinked double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) underwent >80 % photosplitting aided by DNA strand displacement on irradiation at 366 nm without heating. In this photosplitting based on DNA strand displacement, the relative thermal stability of the invader strand with respect to the template strands plays an important role, and an invader strand/template strand system that is more stable than the passenger strand/template strand system induces photosplitting without heating. This new strand-displacement-aided photosplitting occurred in a sequence-specific manner through irradiation at 366 nm in the presence of an invader strand.

A Chiral Thiourea as a Template for Enantioselective Intramolecular [2 + 2] Photocycloaddition Reactions

A chiral (1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane-derived bisthiourea was found to exhibit a significant asymmetric induction in the intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of 2,3-dihydropyridone-5-carboxylates. Under optimized conditions, the reaction was performed with visible light employing 10 mol % of thioxanthone as triplet sensitizer. Due to the different electronic properties of its carbonyl oxygen atoms, a directed binding of the substrate to the template is possible, which in turn enables an efficient enantioface differentiation.

Synthesis, structure, and stereospecific cross-[2+2] photocycloaddition of pseudodimeric complexes based on ammonioalkyl derivatives of styryl dyes

Two different styryl dyes form pseudodimeric complexes via hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions; irradiation of these complexes gives rctt-cyclobutane derivatives.

Remarkable acceleration of template-directed photodimerisation of 9-phenylethynylanthracene derivatives assisted by complementary salt bridge formation

The photodimerisation of 9-phenylethynylanthracene-bound carboxylic acid monomers was remarkably accelerated in the presence of the complementary amidine dimer template.

Supramolecular Dimerization and [2 + 2] Photocycloaddition Reactions of Crown Ether Styryl Dyes Containing a Tethered Ammonium Group: Structure-Property Relationships

Molecular self-assembly is an effective strategy for controlling the [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction of olefins. The geometrical properties of supramolecular assemblies are proven to have a critical effect on the efficiency and selectivity of this photoreaction both in the solid state and in solution, but the role of other factors remains poorly understood. Convenient supramolecular systems to study the structure-property relationships are pseudocyclic dimers spontaneously formed by styryl dyes containing a crown ether moiety and a remote ammonium group. New dyes of this type were synthesized to investigate the effects of structural and electronic factors on the quantitative characteristics of supramolecular dimerization and [2 + 2] photocycloaddition in solution. Variable structural parameters for the styryl dyes were the size and structure of macrocyclic moiety, the nature of heteroaromatic residue, and the length of the ammonioalkyl group attached to this residue. Quantum chemical calculations of the pseudocyclic dimers were performed in order to interpret the relationships between the structure of the ammonium dyes and the efficiency of the supramolecular photoreaction. One of the dimeric complexes was obtained in the crystalline state and studied by X-ray diffraction. The results obtained demonstrate that the photocycloaddition in the pseudocyclic dimers can be dramatically affected by the electronic structure of the styryl moieties, as dependent on the electron-donating ability of the substituents on the benzene ring, and by the conformational flexibility of the pseudocycle, which determines the mobility of the olefinic bonds. The significance of electronic factors is highlighted by the fact that the photocycloaddition quantum yield in geometrically similar dimeric structures varies from ≤10(-4) to 0.38. The latter value is unusually high for olefins in solution.

Photochemistry within a water-soluble organic capsule

Photochemistry along with life as we know it originated on earth billions of years ago. Supramolecular Photochemistry had its beginning when plants that sustain life began transforming water into oxygen by carrying out light initiated reactions within highly organized assemblies. Prompted by the efforts of J. Priestly (photosynthesis), F. Sestini, S. Cannizaro, and C. Liebermann (solid-state photochemistry of santonin, quinones, and cinnamic acid), orderly scientific investigations of the link between light absorption by matter and molecules and the chemical and physical consequences began in the mid-1700s. By 1970 when Molecular Photochemistry had matured, it was clear that controlling photochemical reactions by conventional methods of varying reaction parameters like temperature and pressure would be futile due to the photoreactions' very low activation energies and enthalpies. During the last 50 years, the excited state behavior of molecules has been successfully manipulated with the use of confining media and weak interactions between the medium and the reactant molecule. In this context, with our knowledge from experimentation with micelles, cyclodextrins (CD), cucurbitruils (CB), calixarenes (CA), Pd nanocage, crystals, and zeolites as media, we began about a decade ago to explore the use of a new water-soluble synthetic organic cavitand, octa acid (OA) as a reaction container. The uniqueness of OA as an organic cavitand lies in that two OA molecules form a closed hydrophobic capsule to encapsulate water-insoluble guest molecule(s). The ability to include a large number of guest molecules in OA has provided an opportunity to examine the excited state chemistry of organic molecules in a hydrophobic, confined environment. OA distinguishes itself from the well-known cavitands CD and CB by its active reaction cavity absorbing UV-radiation between 200 and 300 nm and serving as energy, electron, and hydrogen donor. The freedom of guest molecules in OA, between that in crystals and isotropic solution can be transformed into photoproducts selectivity. The results of our photochemical investigations elaborated in this Account demonstrate that OA with a medium sized cavity exerts better control on excited state processes than the more common and familiar organic hosts such as CD, CB, CA, and micelles. By examining the photochemistry of a number of molecules (olefins, carbonyls, aromatics and singlet oxygen) that undergo varied reactions (cleavage, cycloaddition, cis-trans isomerization, oxidation and cyclization) within OA capsule, we have demonstrated that the free space within the container, the capsule influenced conformation and preorientation of guest molecules, supramolecular steric control, and capsular dynamics contribute to the altered excited state behavior. In this Account, we have shown that photochemistry based on concepts of physical organic and supramolecular chemistry continues to be a discipline with unlimited potential. The future of supramolecular photochemistry lies in synthetic, materials, medicinal, and biological chemistries. Success in these areas depends on synthesizing well-designed water-soluble hosts that can emulate complex biological assemblies, organizing and examining the behavior of supramolecular assemblies on solid surfaces, rendering the photoreactions catalytic, and delivering encapsulated drugs in a targeted fashion.

Role of hydrogen bonds in molecular packing of photoreactive crystals: templating photodimerization of protonated stilbazoles in crystalline state with a combination of water molecules and chloride ions

A difference in photobehavior and molecular packing between hydrated and anhydrous crystals of protonated trans-stilbazoles has been identified. While stilbazoles are not photoreactive in the crystalline state, upon protonation with HCl in the solid state they dimerized to a single dimer (anti-head-tail) when exposed to UV light. In these photoreactive crystals the protonated stilbazole molecules are arranged in a ladder-like format with the rungs made up of water molecules and chloride ions. A combination of water and chloride ion holds the protonated trans-stilbazoles through either N-HO or N-HCl(-) interactions. Anhydrous protonated stilbazole crystals prepared by heating the 'wet' crystals under reduced pressure were inert upon exposure to UV light. As per X-ray crystal structure analyses these light stable crystals did not contain water molecules in their lattice. The current investigation has established that water molecules are essential for photodimerization of crystalline protonated trans-stilbazoles. To compare the reactivity of protonated trans-stilbazoles with that of protonated cis-stilbazoles, photoreactivity and packing arrangement of cis-4-iodo stilbazole·HCl salt was examined. This molecule in the crystalline state only isomerized to the trans isomer and did not dimerize. Thus, while the trans isomer dimerized and did not isomerize, the cis isomer only isomerized and did not dimerize in the crystalline state. To probe the role of cationπ interaction in the packing of protonated trans-stilbazoles, energies of various types of packing in the gas phase were estimated by MP-2 calculations and cationπ interaction was found to be unimportant in the packing of protonated trans-stilbazole crystals investigated here.

Supramolecular Photochemistry in Solution and on Surfaces: Encapsulation and Dynamics of Guest Molecules and Communication between Encapsulated and Free Molecules

Supramolecular assemblies that help to preorganize reactant molecules have played an important role in the development of concepts related to the control of excited-state processes. This has led to a persistent search for newer supramolecular systems (hosts), and this review briefly presents our work with octa acid (OA) to a host to control excited-state processes of organic molecules. Octa acid, a water-soluble host, forms 1:1, 2:1, and 2:2 (host-guest) complexes with various organic molecules. A majority of the guest molecules are enclosed within a capsule made up of two molecules of OA whereas OA by itself remains as a monomer or aggregates. Luminescence and (1)H NMR spectroscopy help to characterize the structure and dynamics of these host-guest complexes. The guest molecule as well as the host-guest complex as a whole undergoes various types of motion, suggesting that the guests possess freedom inside the confined space of the octa acid capsule. In addition, the confined guests are not isolated but are able to communicate (energy, electron, and spin) with molecules present closer to the capsule. The host-guest complexes are stable even on solid surfaces such as silica, clay, α-Zr phosphate, TiO2, and gold nanoparticles. This opens up new opportunities to explore the interaction between confined guests and active surfaces of TiO2 and gold nanoparticles. In addition, this allows the possibility of performing energy and electron transfer between organic molecules that do not adsorb on inert surfaces of silica, clay, or α-Zr phosphate. The results summarized here, in addition to providing a fundamental understanding of the behavior of molecules in a confined space provided by the host OA, are likely to have a long-range effect on the capture and release of solar energy.

Supramolecular photocatalysis: combining confinement and non-covalent interactions to control light initiated reactions

Using non-bonding interactions to control photochemical reactions requires an understanding of not only thermodynamics and kinetics of ground state and excited state processes but also the intricate interactions that dictate the dynamics within the system of interest. This review is geared towards a conceptual understanding of how one can control the reactivity and selectivity in the excited state by employing confinement and non-covalent interactions. Photochemical reactivity of organic molecules within confined containers and organized assemblies as well as organic templates that interact through H-bonding and/or cation-carbonyl/cation-π interactions is reviewed with an eye towards understanding supramolecular effects and photocatalysis.

Gas-phase chemistry of molecular containers

The use of mass spectrometry for the investigation of supramolecular capsules and containers in solution and the gas-phase is reviewed.

Supramolecular photochemistry: from molecular crystals to water-soluble capsules

Photochemical and photophysical behavior of molecules in supramolecular assemblies are different and more selective than in gas and isotropic solution phases.

Features of styryl dye crystal packings and their influence on [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction with single crystal retention

Only in two of three crystal modifications the initial dye is subjected to the SC–SC [2 + 2]-photocycloaddtion under visible light irradiation.

Using halogen⋯halogen interactions or C/N–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonding to direct crystal packing in tetrachlorophthalic acid with N-heterocyclic compounds

Hydrogen bonding patterns and halogen⋯halogen interactions, C/N–H⋯Cl hydrogen bonding in a series of multi-component molecular structures constructed by tetrachlorophthalic acid with N-heterocycles were discussed.

C–H⋯H–C and C–H⋯π contacts aid transformation of dimeric to monomeric anthracene in the solid state

C–H⋯H–C and C–H⋯π interaction assisted formation of thermodynamically stable blue emissive AP-I from kinetically stable green emissive AP-II of 1-(anthracen-9-yl)pyrene (AP).