Supramolecular Porphyrin-DABCO Array in Single- and Double-Stranded Polynorbornenes

Double Porphyrin Cage Compounds

The synthesis and characterization of double porphyrin cage compounds are described. They consist of two porphyrins that are each attached to a diphenylglycoluril-based clip molecule via four ethyleneoxy spacers, and are linked together by a single alkyl chain using "click"-chemistry. Following a newly developed multistep synthesis procedure we report three of these double porphyrin cages, linked by spacers of different lengths, i.e. 3, 5, and 11 carbon atoms. The structures of the double porphyrin cages were fully characterized by NMR, which revealed that they consist of mixtures of two diastereoisomers. Their zinc derivatives are capable of forming sandwich-like complexes with the ditopic ligand 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (dabco).

Selective ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclobutenes. Unsymmetrical ladderphane containing polycyclobutene and polynorbornene strands

At 0 °C in THF in the presence of Grubbs first generation catalyst, cyclobutene derivatives undergo ROMP readily, whereas norbornene derivatives remain intact. When the substrate contains both cyclobutene and norbornene moieties, the conditions using THF as the solvent at 0 °C offer a useful protocol for the selective ROMP of cyclobutene to give norbornene-appended polycyclobutene. Unsymmetrical ladderphane having polycyclobutene and polynorbornene as two strands is obtained by further ROMP of the norbornene appended polycyclobutene in the presence of Grubbs first generation catalyst in DCM at ambient temperature. Methanolysis of this unsymmetrical ladderphane gives polycyclobutene methyl ester and insoluble polynorbornene-amide-alcohol. The latter is converted into the corresponding soluble acetate. Both polymers are well characterized by spectroscopic means. No norbornene moiety is found to be incorporated into polycyclobutene strand at all. The double bonds in the polycyclobutene strand are mainly in cis configuration (ca 70%), whereas the E/Z ratio for polynorbornene strand is 8:1.

Supramolecular Helical Systems: Helical Assemblies of Small Molecules, Foldamers, and Polymers with Chiral Amplification and Their Functions

In this review, we describe the recent advances in supramolecular helical assemblies formed from chiral and achiral small molecules, oligomers (foldamers), and helical and nonhelical polymers from the viewpoints of their formations with unique chiral phenomena, such as amplification of chirality during the dynamic helically assembled processes, properties, and specific functionalities, some of which have not been observed in or achieved by biological systems. In addition, a brief historical overview of the helical assemblies of small molecules and remarkable progress in the synthesis of single-stranded and multistranded helical foldamers and polymers, their properties, structures, and functions, mainly since 2009, will also be described.

Conceptual design of tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional nanocarbon materials: electronic structures, topologies, optical properties, and methane storage capacities

A large variety of conceptual three- and fourfold tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional 3D nanocage and nanobarrel structures have been proposed on the basis of in silico design. The designed structures differ in their sizes, topology, porosity, and conjugation properties. The stability of nanocages of Oh symmetry and nanobarrels of D4h symmetry was revealed on the basis of DFT and MD calculations, whereas their optical properties were assessed using a TDDFT approach and a long-range corrected LC-wPBE exchange-correlation functional. It was shown that the electronic structures and vertical excitation energies of the functional nanocage and nanobarrel structures could be easily tuned via their size, topology, and the presence of bridging sp(3) carbon atoms. TDDFT calculations suggest significantly lower excitation energies in fully conjugated nanocages and nanobarrels compared with systems with bridging sp(3) carbon fragments. Based on DFT and TDDFT calculations, the optical properties of the new materials can rival those of known quantum dots and are superior to those of monomeric phthalocyanines and their analogues. The methane gas adsorption properties of the new nanostructures and nanotubes generated by conversion from nanobarrels were studied using an MD simulation approach. The ability to store large quantities of methane (106-216 cm(3) (STP) cm(-3)) was observed in all cases with several compounds being close to or exceeding the DOE target of 180 cm(3) (STP) cm(-3) for material-based methane storage at a pressure of 3.5 MPa and room temperature.

Ladderphanes: a new type of duplex polymers

A polymeric ladderphane is a step-like structure comprising multiple layers of linkers covalently connected to two or more polymeric backbones. The linkers can be planar aromatic, macrocyclic metal complexes, or three-dimensional organic or organometallic moieties. Structurally, a DNA molecule is a special kind of ladderphane, where the cofacially aligned base-pair pendants are linked through hydrogen bonding. A greater understanding of this class of molecules could help researchers develop new synthetic molecules capable of a similar transfer of chemical information. In this Account, we summarize our studies of the strategy, design, synthesis, characterization, replications, chemical and photophysical properties, and assembly of a range of double-stranded ladderphanes with many fascinating structures. We employed two norbornene moieties fused with N-arylpyrrolidine to connect covalently with a range of relatively rigid linkers. Ring opening metathesis polymerizations (ROMP) of these bis-norbornenes using the first-generation Grubbs ruthenium-benzylidene catalyst produced the corresponding symmetrical double-stranded ladderphanes. The N-arylpyrrolidene moiety in the linker controls the isotactic selectivity and the trans configuration for all double bonds in both single- and double-stranded polynorbornenes. The π-π interactions between these aryl pendants may contribute to the high stereoselectivity in the ROMP of these substrates. We synthesized chiral helical ladderphanes by incorporating asymmetric center(s) in the linkers. Replication protocols and sequential polymerization of a monomer that includes two different polymerizable groups offer methods for producing unsymmetical ladderphanes. These routes furnish template synthesis of daughter polymers with well-controlled chain lengths and polydispersities. The linkers in these ladderphanes are well aligned in the center along the longitudinal axis of the polymer. Fluorescence quenching, excimer formation, or Soret band splitting experiments suggest that strong interactions take place between the linkers. The antiferromagnetism of the oxidized ferrocene-based ladderphanes further indicates strong coupling between linkers in these ladderphanes. These polynorbornene-based ladderphanes can easily aggregate to form a two-dimensional, highly ordered array on the graphite surface with areas that can reach the submicrometer range. These morphological patterns result from interactions between vinyl and styryl end groups via π-π stacking along the longitudinal axis of the polymer and van der Waals interaction between backbones of polymers. Such assembly orients planar arene moieties cofacially, and polynorbornene backbones insulate each linear array of arenes from the adjacent arrays. Dihydroxylation converts the double bonds in polynorbornene backbones of ladderphanes into more hydrophilic polyols. Hydrogen bonding between these polyol molecules leads to self-assembly and produces structures with longitudinally staggered morphologies on the graphite surface.

Double-stranded polymeric ladderphanes

Double-stranded polymeric ladderphanes are obtained by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of bisnorbornene derivatives by the first generation of Grubbs catalyst (G-I). A range of two- and three-dimensional organic and organometallic linkers are used to connect two norbornene units. The structures of these double-stranded polymers are proved by spectroscopic means and scanning tunneling microscopic (STM) images. Hydrolytic cleavages of these ladderphanes give the corresponding single-stranded polymers with the same degree of polymerization and polydispersity as those of the double-stranded counterparts. Helical polymeric ladderphanes are also synthesized similarly when chiral linkers are used. Strong intereactions between adjacent linkers have been revealed by their physical properties in these polymers. Chemical modification of ladderphanes is achieved by bis-dihydroxylation, diimide reduction of double bonds, and electrochemical oxidation of linkers. Unsymmetrical ladderphanes with well-defined lengths and narrow dispersity are also obtained by replication and by sequential polymerization.