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Chen X, Chen H, Fraser Stoddart J. The Story of the Little Blue Box: A Tribute to Siegfried Hünig. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202211387. [PMID: 36131604 PMCID: PMC10099103 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202211387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene), also known as the little blue box, constitutes a modular receptor that has facilitated the discovery of many host-guest complexes and mechanically interlocked molecules during the past 35 years. Its versatility in binding small π-donors in its tetracationic state, as well as forming trisradical tricationic complexes with viologen radical cations in its doubly reduced bisradical dicationic state, renders it valuable for the construction of various stimuli-responsive materials. Since the first reports in 1988, the little blue box has been featured in over 500 publications in the literature. All this research activity would not have been possible without the seminal contributions carried out by Siegfried Hünig, who not only pioneered the syntheses of viologen-containing cyclophanes, but also revealed their rich redox chemistry in addition to their ability to undergo intramolecular π-dimerization. This Review describes how his pioneering research led to the design and synthesis of the little blue box, and how this redox-active host evolved into the key component of molecular shuttles, switches, and machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao‐Yang Chen
- Department of ChemistryNorthwestern University2145 Sheridan RoadEvanstonIllinois 60208USA
| | - Hongliang Chen
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular ScienceDepartment of ChemistryZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation CenterHangzhou311215China
| | - J. Fraser Stoddart
- Department of ChemistryNorthwestern University2145 Sheridan RoadEvanstonIllinois 60208USA
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular ScienceDepartment of ChemistryZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation CenterHangzhou311215China
- School of ChemistryUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW 2052Australia
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Mei L, Wu QY, Yuan LY, Wang L, An SW, Xie ZN, Hu KQ, Chai ZF, Burns PC, Shi WQ. An Unprecedented Two-Fold Nested Super-Polyrotaxane: Sulfate-Directed Hierarchical Polythreading Assembly of Uranyl Polyrotaxane Moieties. Chemistry 2016; 22:11329-38. [PMID: 27389048 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201601506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The hierarchical assembly of well-organized submoieties could lead to more complicated superstructures with intriguing properties. We describe herein an unprecedented polyrotaxane polythreading framework containing a two-fold nested super-polyrotaxane substructure, which was synthesized through a uranyl-directed hierarchical polythreading assembly of one-dimensional polyrotaxane chains and two-dimensional polyrotaxane networks. This special assembly mode actually affords a new way of supramolecular chemistry instead of covalently linked bulky stoppers to construct stable interlocked rotaxane moieties. An investigation of the synthesis condition shows that sulfate can assume a vital role in mediating the formation of different uranyl species, especially the unique trinuclear uranyl moiety [(UO2 )3 O(OH)2 ](2+) , involving a notable bent [O=U=O] bond with a bond angle of 172.0(9)°. Detailed analysis of the coordination features, the thermal stability as well as a fluorescence, and electrochemical characterization demonstrate that the uniqueness of this super-polyrotaxane structure is mainly closely related to the trinuclear uranyl moiety, which is confirmed by quantum chemical calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Mei
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Qun-Yan Wu
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Li-Yong Yuan
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Lin Wang
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Wen An
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Zhen-Ni Xie
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Kong-Qiu Hu
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Fang Chai
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.,School of Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P.R. China
| | - Peter C Burns
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| | - Wei-Qun Shi
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
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Xiao X, Sun J, Jiang J. X-ray Structure of a Porphyrin-Tetramethylcucurbit[6]uril Supramolecular Polymer. Chemistry 2013; 19:16891-6. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201303530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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