Resorcarene-Based Nanoarchitectures: Metal-Directed Assembly of a Molecular Loop and Tetrahedron

Hierarchical study of mono- and multicharged imidazolium encapsulation in p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene molecular capsules

Four ternary multi-component crystal structures comprising water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene anion as the cavitand in the presence of different types of positively charged guest molecules comprising 1-butylimidazolium, 3,3'-(1,4-phenylenebis(methylene))bis(1-methylimidazolium), 3,3',3''-(benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(methylene))tris(1-methylimidazolium), or 3,3',3'',3'''-(benzene-1,2,4,5-tetrayltetrakis(methylene))tetrakis(1-methylimidazolium) and...

Multicomponent assembly of cavitand-based polyacylhydrazone nanocapsules

The thermodynamically controlled syntheses of different di-, tetra-, and hexacavitand polyacylhydrazone nanocapsules are reported. [2+4]-, [4+8]-, and [6+12]-nanocapsules assemble upon reacting a tetraformyl cavitand with two equivalents of isophthalic dihydrazide, or terephthalic dihydrazide in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid, whereby the building blocks are linked together through 8, 16, or 24 newly formed acylhydrazone bonds. Futhermore, the reaction of the tetraformylcavitands with different trigonal planar trihydrazides, simultaneously leads to the formation of [2+4]- and [6+8]-nanocapsules in varying ratios that depend on the cavitand to trihydrazide ratio and the nature of the cavitand and trihydrazide building blocks. The product ratios are rationalized with the different conformational strain of the acylhydrazone linkages in these nanocapsules. Diffusion NMR experiments with the hexacavitand polyacylhydrazone nanocapsules yield solvodynamic radii that range from 1.6 to 2.5 nm, consistent with estimates from force field calculations, and support, that these capsules have solvent filled, spherical interiors, the sizes of which approaches those of smaller proteins.

Different metal-ion-induced dimeric self-assembling cavities based on thiacalix[4]benzocrown-4 isomers

To construct the self-assembly of metal-ion-induced well-ordered architectures based on calixcrowns, isomeric thiacalix[4]benzocrowns-4 1 and 2 with rigid and small crown units were employed as the new scaffolds. They all show remarkable selectivity for Ag(+) and their complexation ability towards Ag(+) results in two novel dimeric aggregates of calixcrowns, which were first evidenced by ESI-MS, (1)H and DOSY-NMR spectra. Ultimately, X-ray diffraction experiments confirmed unambiguously the existence of the two metal-ion-induced dimers in lower rim/lower rim mode, and showed that dimerization of calixcrown 1 or 2 in the presence of Ag(+) could form dimeric supramolecular cavity with a small inner room. Moreover, the positional isomerism of their crown units (o-benzocrown unit for ligand 1 and m-benzocrown unit for 2) led to a dramatic change in the configuration of the two dimeric cavities 1·Ag(+) and 2·Ag(+). For dimeric cavity 1·Ag(+), two silver centers seamed two thiacalix[4]crown molecules together and resided at the edge of the dimeric self-assembling cavity; for dimeric cavity 2·Ag(+), one Ag(+) stitched two thiacalixcrowns together and was encapsulated in the center of the self-assembling cavity, while the other Ag(+) is tied down to one end of the dimer. Consequently, as a result of the different construction of dimeric cavities 1·Ag(+) and 2·Ag(+) the extended structures of the complexes are also different. The neighbour self-assembling cavities 1·Ag(+) are mutually oriented side-by-side and form a 1-D rectilineal polymeric chain. While, the neighbour self-assembling cavities 2·Ag(+) arrange themselves in a typical head-to-tail fashion to form a zig-zag polymeric chain.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Structure Investigation of Copper Complexation in a Hemicarcerand

The double-bridged hemicarcerand [A,B-(CH2OH)2-cavitand]-(CH2NHCH2)2-[A,B-(CH2OH)2-cavitand] 23 (and several other related compounds) was synthesized by the condensation of the two complementary precursors A,B-(CH2NH2)2(CH2OH)2-cavitand and A,B-(CH2Br)2(CH2OAc)2-cavitand followed by hydrolysis of the acetate groups. This hemicarcerand has nitrogen and oxygen donor atoms located on the interior of the spherical cavity and thus allows endohedral coordination of metal ions. The cavity has a volume of approximately 0.12 nm3, a value obtained by calculating a Connolly-type contact surface and the molecular electrostatic potential. The Cu2+ complex of hemicarcerand 23 was studied in detail by EPR and DFT calculations at the UB3LYP/6-31G level to verify the anticipated endohedral nature of the metal complex. It could be shown that the copper ion is coordinated to four oxygen donor atoms and no deviation from axial symmetry at the copper site could be detected. No direct coordination to nitrogen atoms of the hemicarcerand could be observed; however, complexation with DMF solvent molecules was detected by ESEEM and HYSCORE experiments. The closed structure of the hemicarcerand was also confirmed by an evaluation of proton-copper distances. Results from DFT calculations are in accord with the EPR results, and further support suggested coordination of the Cu(II) within the hemicarcerand cavity by four oxygen donor atoms.

Tris(pyridylmethylamino)cyclotriguaiacylene Cavitands: An Investigation of the Solution and Solid-State Behaviour of Metallo-Supramolecular Cages and Cavitand-Based Coordination Polymers

The synthesis of the three isomeric tris(pyridylmethylamino)cyclotriguaiacylene cavitands is reported, along with the crystal structures of the 2- and 4-pyridyl derivatives. The generality of a previously described [Ag(2){tris(3-pyridylmethylamino)cyclotriguaiacylene}(2)](2+) dimeric capsule motif and the [Ag(4){tris(4-pyridylmethylamino)cyclotriguaiacylene}(4)](4+) tetrahedron with several silver salts was confirmed in the solid state and the corresponding solution species were investigated by NMR spectroscopy. Host-guest interactions in these systems have been probed and these interactions are demonstrated to alter and influence the self-assembly outcome of the reaction. Notably, introduction of larger glutaronitrile guest molecules to the [Ag(4)L(4)](4+) tetrahedron system prevents formation of the tetrahedral structure, resulting instead in the formation of a 4.8(2) coordination network in the solid state. In the absence of templating acetonitrile guests in the [Ag(2)(3)(2)](2+) capsule system, formation of a cage-based one-dimensional coordination polymer is observed.

Selective Guest Encapsulation by a Cobalt-Assembled Cage Molecule

Metal-assembled resorcinarene-based cages enclose space and entrap organic molecules from water. Addition of cobalt(II) ions to a neutral, aqueous solution of a resorcinarene that has iminodiacetic acids attached to its upper rim results in the formation of cages. These cages not only entrap organic molecules, but they do so in a selective manner. Guests with optimum size, shape, and polarity are preferentially entrapped. For example, selection of p-xylene is twenty thousand times more favorable than that of m-xylene. The enthalpy of resorcinarene deprotonation and cage formation was calculated by performing calorimetry studies and ranged from -305 to -348 kJ mol(-1). The change in enthalpy of guest encapsulation varied by as much as 43 kJ mol(-1). The differences in change in free energy of guest encapsulation varied by -16 kJ mol(-1). The changes in enthalpy and free energy of guest encapsulation were used to calculate the changes in entropy, which ranged from -97 to +37 J mol(-1) K(-1). An enthalpy-entropy compensation of guest encapsulation was observed.

Dynamic Equilibrium between a Supramolecular Capsule and Bowl Generated by Inter- and Intramolecular Metal Clipping

The metal-induced self-assembly of a resorcin[4]arene derivative 1 that has four pyridine units as pendent groups and two equivalents of [M(dppp)(OTf)(2)] (M=Pd, Pt) results in a dynamic equilibrium between an interclipped supramolecular capsule 3 and an intraclipped bowl 4 in nitromethane, although the interclipped capsule 3 is formed as a sole adduct in chloroform/methanol and the intraclipped bowl 4 is formed exclusively in an aqueous phase. This demonstrates how metal-induced self-assembly can be tuned by subtle changes in the solvent system. The coexistence of the two structures in nitromethane was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and coldspray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS). The crystal structure of the interclipped capsule 3 b, which is composed of two units of ligand 1 and four Pt(II) ions, reveals the capsule cavity to have nanoscale dimensions of 15x20 A. NMR spectra show that the dynamic equilibrium between 3 and 4 is dependent on concentration and temperature. Temperature-dependent (1)H NMR spectroscopy was carried out from 273 to 343 K to verify the thermodynamic parameters that control the dynamic equilibrium process; the conversion from the interclipped supramolecular capsule 3 a to the intraclipped bowl 4 a is entropically favored and enthalpically disfavored. The rotational barrier of the restricted rotation of pyridine units in the intraclipped bowl 4 was determined by line-shape analysis.

A cuboctahedral supramolecular capsule by 4:4 self-assembly of Tris(Zn(II)-cyclen) and trianionic trithiocyanurate in aqueous solution at neutral pH (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane)

A 1:1 mixture of a tris(Zn(II)-cyclen) (1: [Zn(3)L(1)], L(1)=1,3,5-tris(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1-ylmethyl)benzene) and trithiocyanuric acid (TCA) yielded a 4:4 self-assembly complex [(Zn(3)L(1))(4)-(TCA(3-))(4)] (6) through the formation of Zn(II)-S(-) coordination bonds and hydrogen bonds between 1,3,5-triazine N and cyclen NH (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane); the supramolecular capsule structure was revealed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The capsule exterior represents a twisted cuboctahedral framework containing a nanoscale truncated tetrahedral cavity. The crystal data: formula C(144)H(308)N(72)O(58)S(12)Zn(12) (6[NO(3)](12) x 22 H(2)O), M(r)=5145.75, cubic, space group F432 (No. 209), a=39.182(1) A, V=60153(3) A (3), Z=8, R=0.100, R(w)=0.259. Lipophilic organic molecules with the matching sizes, for example, ([D(4)]-2,2,3,3)-3-(trimethylsilyl)propionic acid (TSP), 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid, 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), adamantane (ADM), or the tetra-n-propylammonium (TPA) cation, are encapsulated in the inner cavity, as revealed by remarkable upfield shifts of the (1)H NMR signals of these guest molecules. The encapsulation of ADM was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. Crystal data of the ADM-encapsulating complex: formula C(154)H(334)N(72)O(63)S(12)Zn(12) (6-ADM[NO(3)](12) x 27 H(2)O), M(r)=5372.06, cubic, space group F432 (No. 209), a=39.061(1) A, V=59599(3) A(3), Z=8, R=0.103, R(w)=0.263. The 4:4 self-assembly was stabilized by incorporation of one of these guest molecules. The apparent 4:4 self-assembly constants for 6 in the presence of an excess amount of a guest TPA, log K(app) (K(app)=[6-TPA]/[1](4)[TCA](4)) (M(-7))), were determined to be 34.0+/-2.0 and 35.5+/-3.0 by potentiometric pH and UV spectrophotometric titrations, respectively. An apparent encapsulation constant for 2,4-DNP, log K(enc) (K(enc)=[6-2,4-DNP]/[6][2,4-DNP] (M(-1))), was 6.0+/-0.1 at pH 7.0 (50 mM HEPES with I=0.1 (NaNO(3))), as determined by UV titrations. The lipophilicity of the inner cavity was close to that of 2-propanol, as a quantum yield (phi) of 0.24+/-0.1 for the fluorescent emission of 7-diethylaminocoumarin-1-carboxylic acid (20 microM) in the capsule was close to the phi of 0.22 found for 2-propanol. Encapsulation properties of the present Zn(II)-containing cage have been compared with those of cyclodextrins and Fujita's Pd(II)-containing supramolecular cage. The exterior chirality of the 4:4 complex was controlled from within by an encapsulated chiral guest molecule, 2,10-camphorsultam, as indicated by Cotton effects in the circular dichroism spectra.

A cuboctahedral supramolecular capsule by 4:4 self-assembly of Tris(Zn(II)-cyclen) and trianionic trithiocyanurate in aqueous solution at neutral pH (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane)

A 1:1 mixture of a tris(Zn(II)-cyclen) (1: [Zn(3)L(1)], L(1)=1,3,5-tris(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1-ylmethyl)benzene) and trithiocyanuric acid (TCA) yielded a 4:4 self-assembly complex [(Zn(3)L(1))(4)-(TCA(3-))(4)] (6) through the formation of Zn(II)-S(-) coordination bonds and hydrogen bonds between 1,3,5-triazine N and cyclen NH (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane); the supramolecular capsule structure was revealed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The capsule exterior represents a twisted cuboctahedral framework containing a nanoscale truncated tetrahedral cavity. The crystal data: formula C(144)H(308)N(72)O(58)S(12)Zn(12) (6[NO(3)](12) x 22 H(2)O), M(r)=5145.75, cubic, space group F432 (No. 209), a=39.182(1) A, V=60153(3) A (3), Z=8, R=0.100, R(w)=0.259. Lipophilic organic molecules with the matching sizes, for example, ([D(4)]-2,2,3,3)-3-(trimethylsilyl)propionic acid (TSP), 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid, 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), adamantane (ADM), or the tetra-n-propylammonium (TPA) cation, are encapsulated in the inner cavity, as revealed by remarkable upfield shifts of the (1)H NMR signals of these guest molecules. The encapsulation of ADM was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. Crystal data of the ADM-encapsulating complex: formula C(154)H(334)N(72)O(63)S(12)Zn(12) (6-ADM[NO(3)](12) x 27 H(2)O), M(r)=5372.06, cubic, space group F432 (No. 209), a=39.061(1) A, V=59599(3) A(3), Z=8, R=0.103, R(w)=0.263. The 4:4 self-assembly was stabilized by incorporation of one of these guest molecules. The apparent 4:4 self-assembly constants for 6 in the presence of an excess amount of a guest TPA, log K(app) (K(app)=[6-TPA]/[1](4)[TCA](4)) (M(-7))), were determined to be 34.0+/-2.0 and 35.5+/-3.0 by potentiometric pH and UV spectrophotometric titrations, respectively. An apparent encapsulation constant for 2,4-DNP, log K(enc) (K(enc)=[6-2,4-DNP]/[6][2,4-DNP] (M(-1))), was 6.0+/-0.1 at pH 7.0 (50 mM HEPES with I=0.1 (NaNO(3))), as determined by UV titrations. The lipophilicity of the inner cavity was close to that of 2-propanol, as a quantum yield (phi) of 0.24+/-0.1 for the fluorescent emission of 7-diethylaminocoumarin-1-carboxylic acid (20 microM) in the capsule was close to the phi of 0.22 found for 2-propanol. Encapsulation properties of the present Zn(II)-containing cage have been compared with those of cyclodextrins and Fujita's Pd(II)-containing supramolecular cage. The exterior chirality of the 4:4 complex was controlled from within by an encapsulated chiral guest molecule, 2,10-camphorsultam, as indicated by Cotton effects in the circular dichroism spectra.

Molecular motions within self-assembled dimeric capsules with tetraethylammonium cations as guest

Hydrogen-bonded, dimeric capsules of calix[4]arenes substituted at the wide rim by four urea functions show unprecedented dynamic features when a tetraethylammonium cation is included as a guest. The seam of hydrogen bonds C=O...(HN)2C=O in the equatorial region which holds the two calixarene counterparts together changes its directionality fast (at 25 degrees C), while the dimer itself is kinetically stable on the NMR time scale. An energy barrier of deltaG++ = 49.9 kJmol(-1) (Tc 276 K) was estimated for this reorientation from variable-temperature (VT) NMR measurements. Lowering the temperature to about -50 degrees C restricts also the rotation of the encapsulated tetraethylammonium cation around a pseudo C2-symmetry axis in the equatorial plane of the capsule, while its rotation around the C4 axis is still fast. As a result of this restriction two ethyl groups of the tetraethylammonium cation point towards the "poles" of the capsule, while the other pair lies in the "equator" region. Variable-temperature 1H NMR experiments led to a barrier of deltaG++=54.8kJ mol(-1) (Tc 306 K) for the exchange of these different ethyl groups. Studies with the ternary complex formed by a C2v-symmetrical tetraurea proved that both processes, reorientation of the hydrogen bonds and rotation of the guest, take place independently. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the capsule is strongly expanded by the larger tetraethylammonium cation in comparison with benzene as guest. Thus, on average only one N-H...O hydrogen bond is formed per urea function and the interaction energy between the two tetraurea calixarenes is less favorable by about 15 kcal mol(-1). This is overcompensated by an energy gain of about 36 kcal mol(-1) due to cation-pi interactions. These results provide a rationale to understand the high stability of the complex inspite of the mobility of the hydrogen-bonded belt.

Resorcarenes in the boat conformation as building blocks for hydrogen-bonded assemblies including two ammonium cations

Crystal structures are reported for various co-crystals of rccc-resorcarenes with triethylammonium chloride. Usually, two molecules of a C2v-symmetric tetraester 2 in the boat conformation are linked through four hydrogen-bonded chloride anions to give dimeric assemblies. Two of the chloride anions may be replaced by four hydrogen-bonded ethanol molecules in an otherwise similar structure. These assemblies, which consist of six or eight components, posses voluminous, negatively charged chambers in which two triethylammionium cations, 3+, are included as guests by strong electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The host-guest N-H...Cl hydrogen bonds were clearly detected at 173 K. These are the first examples of hydrogen-bonded, solid-state capsules trapping two ions of the same charge in close proximity. In the 1:2 complex with 3+ Cl-, the molecule of the parent resorcarene 1 also adopts a boat conformation whose cavity is considerably extended by four hydrogen-bonded chloride anions. The pocket formed in this way again includes two 3+ ions as a result of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding host-guest interactions. All these structures show that the boat conformers of resorcarenes can be used as a novel motif for the construction of hydrogen-bonded assemblies capable of molecular inclusion and encapsulation.

A new type of calixarene: octahydroxypyridin

A new type of calixarene has been synthesised. Like resorcinol and a number of resorcinol derivatives, 2,6-dihydroxypyridine has been proven to form cyclic tetramers in moderate yields with a number of aliphatic and two aromatic aldehydes in acidic media. The problem of the formation of configurational isomers can be reduced by increasing the reaction temperature and time. With electron-rich aromatic aldehydes, 2,6-dihydroxypyridine unexpectedly yields deep-coloured acyclic quinoid systems. The octahydroxypyridine[4]arenes may have a high potential as receptors for molecular recognition and self organisation.