Protonated macrobicyclic hosts containing pyridine head units for anion recognition

In this paper, we report two macrobicyclic receptors containing pyridine head units derived from 1,10-diaza-15-crown[5] (L1) or 4,13-diaza-18-crown[6] (L2) that can be protonated in MeCN and used for anion recognition. The interaction of these protonated lateral macrobicycles with different anions has been investigated by means of spectrophotometric titrations in MeCN. The association constants for the complexes of halide anions with the protonated macrobicycles follow the sequences Cl(-)>Br(-)>I(-)>F(-) (L1) and Cl(-)>F(-)>I(-)>Br(-) (L2), whereby an increase of more than two logarithmic units is observed from F(-) to Cl(-) for the binding constants of the receptor derived from L1. The association constants also indicate an important degree of selectivity of these macrobicyclic receptors for Cl(-) over Br(-) or I(-). The X-ray crystal structure analyses of the chloride and bromide complexes confirms the formation of the envisaged supramolecular complexes. Moreover, the binding constants indicate that these receptors present a high sulfate-to-nitrate binding selectivity. The stability trend observed for the recognition of halide anions by the macrobicycles presented herein as well as the sulfate-to-nitrate binding selectivity have been rationalised by means of DFT calculations at the B3LYP/LanL2DZ level. These studies indicate that the especially high binding selectivity for Cl(-) is the result of the optimum fit between the protonated macrobicyclic cavity and the size of the anion, whereas the sulfate-to-nitrate selectivity results from shape complementarity between the hydrogen-binding acceptor sites on sulfate and the hydrogen-bond donors of the macrobicycle.

Sequence-Dependent Binding of Dipeptides by an Artificial Receptor in Water

An artificial dipeptide receptor (1) was designed and observed to bind the deprotonated dipeptide Ac-D-Ala-D-Ala-OH in buffered water with K = 33,100 M(-1), whereas other dipeptides such as Ac-Gly-Gly-OH or Ac-D-Val-D-Val-OH were bound less efficiently, by factors of more than 10 (K < 3000 M(-1)). The efficient binding and the pronounced sequence selectivity are the result of a combination of strong electrostatic contacts and size-discriminating hydrophobic interactions. To provide such a combination, a guanidiniocarbonylpyrrole cation was attached to a novel cyclotribenzylene-substituted alanine derivative 5, to provide a hydrophobic bowl-shaped cavity just large enough to bind a methyl group but not any larger alkyl chains, thus causing the receptor to prefer alanine to valine. We describe the synthesis of 1 and the evaluation of its complexation properties in UV and fluorescence titration studies.

Characterization of peptide-pyrazole interactions in solution by low-temperature NMR studies

Complexation of the amino- and carboxyl-protected tripeptide Piv-L-Val-L-Val-L-Val-tBu with 3-methylpyrazole and 3-amino-5-methylpyrazole was studied by low-temperature NMR experiments in a freonic solvent. The peptide forms an extended beta-type structure at all temperatures and associates through hydrogen bonding with the two pyrazole-based beta-sheet ligands. A detailed structural characterization of the formed complexes by one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments under slow exchange conditions was made possible by employing very low temperatures. The tripeptide associates to stable antiparallel dimers that are symmetrically capped on both sides by two pyrazole receptors to form 2:2 complexes. Amide groups of two neighboring residues in an extended conformation are involved in cyclic hydrogen bonds to the pyrazole. Based on amide chemical shift changes, the relative strength of intermolecular hydrogen bonds can be assessed and correlated with the electronic effects of the substituents on the pyrazole.

Luminescent Crown Ether Amino Acids: Selective Binding toN-terminal Lysine in Peptides

Crown ether amino acids (CEAAs) with a luminescent phthalic ester or phthalimide moiety have been prepared. Simple peptide chemistry covalently tethers the macrocycles to give ditopic ammonium-ion binders. The binding events of both crown ether groups are monitored independently by changes of their specific emission properties. The affinity of the bis-CEAA to bis-ammonium ions is distance dependent, which allows distinguishing between isomeric small peptides containing a lysine residue in different positions.