Construction of supramolecular multi-component assemblies by using allosteric interactions

Heterocomponent ternary supramolecular complexes of porphyrins: A review

Porphyrins are prominent host molecules which are widely used due to their structural characteristics and directional interaction sites. This review summarizes non-covalently bound ternary complexes of porphyrins, constructed from at least three non-identical species. Progress in supramolecular chemistry allows the creation of complex molecular machinery tools, such as rotors, motors and switches from relatively simple structures in a single self-assembly step. In the current review, we highlight the collection of sophisticated molecular ensembles including sandwich-type complexes, cages, capsules, tweezers, rotaxanes, and supramolecular architectures mediating oxygen-binding and oxidation reactions. These diverse structures have high potential to be applied in sensing, production of new smart materials as well as in medical science.

Porphyrin cage compounds based on glycoluril – from enzyme mimics to functional molecular machines

This Feature Article gives an overview of the application of glycoluril-based porphyrin cage compounds in host–guest chemistry, allosterically controlled self-assembly, biomimetic catalysis, and polymer encoding.

Regioisomeric control induced by DABCO coordination to rotatable self-assembled bis- and tetraporphyrin α,γ-cyclic octapeptide dimers

The design and synthesis of two α,γ-cyclic octapeptides decorated with one and two Zn-porphyrin units in their periphery is described. In nonpolar organic solvents the α,γ-cyclic octapeptides quantitatively self-assemble into Zn-bis- or -tetraporphyrin architectures that could act as molecular tweezers. The self-assembly process, however, is not regioselective and affords a mixture of different regioisomers that are involved in chemical exchange processes. The regioisomers with the Zn-porphyrin units positioned in register with respect to each other are proposed to be the less abundant species in the solution mixture. It has been demonstrated that the coordination of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) to the supramolecular bis- or tetraporphyrin tweezers is an effective way to achieve regioisomeric control of the self-assembled mixture of dimers. Thus, DABCO functions as an external molecular trigger and, when used under strict stoichiometric control with respect to the Zn-porphyrin units, provokes the exclusive formation of self-assembled dimers with a cofacial arrangement of Zn-porphyrin units through the formation of sandwich-type complexes. The use of excess DABCO fragments the sandwich complexes and affords open dimers of high stoichiometry with DABCO molecules axially monocoordinated to the Zn-porphyrin units, probably as a regioisomeric mixture. In the case of Zn-tetraporphyrin tweezers, the ditopic coordination of DABCO at the two binding sites shows a moderate positive cooperativity factor, αP=5. These assemblies have potential applications as light-induced energy and electron-transfer switches regulated by DABCO coordination; such applications would require the introduction of additional chromophores in the cyclic peptide scaffold.

Solvent and temperature induced switching between structural isomers of Rh(I) phosphinoalkyl thioether (PS) complexes

To develop functional systems based on the weak-link approach (WLA), it is important to understand how solvent and ligand binding strength alter the coordination geometry of complexes formed from this method. A series of phosphinoalkyl thioether (PS) hemilabile ligands with varying electron donating abilities were synthesized and incorporated into homoligated Rh(I)(PS)2Cl complexes to help understand the effects of solvent and ligand binding strength on the preferred coordination modes. The switching between closed and semiopen structural isomers of these Rh(I)(PS)2Cl complexes was studied by variable temperature 31P NMR spectroscopy in different solvent mixtures of CH2Cl2 and tetrahydrofuran (THF) to obtain thermodynamic parameters (DeltaG(o), DeltaH(o), TDeltaS(o), and K(eq)). The isomers differ in the position of the chloride counterion. In the closed isomer, the Cl- anion occupies the outer coordination sphere, while in the semiopen isomer, the Cl- has moved inner sphere and displaced one of the Rh-S bonds. The closed isomer is favored in CH2Cl2 and the semiopen isomer is favored in THF. The preference for either isomer at equilibrium depends on the solvent polarity, based upon the E(T)(N) solvent polarity scale, as was determined from 15 different solvents, with more polar solvents favoring the closed isomer. The isomer preference also depends on the electron donating ability of the group attached to the sulfur of the PS ligand, with electron donating groups favoring the closed isomers and electron withdrawing groups favoring the semiopen isomers. The formation of the semiopen isomer from the closed isomer is entropically favored but enthalpically disfavored under all conditions studied. Elucidation of the principles and environments that determine the equilibrium between the two isomers will aid in the design of functional complexes prepared by the WLA.