Nucleophilic Substitution Catalyzed by a Supramolecular Cavity Proceeds with Retention of Absolute Stereochemistry

Reversing the stereoselectivity of intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition utilizing cucurbit[8]uril as a molecular flask

Macrocyclic hosts, such as cucurbit[8]uril (CB8), can significantly influence the outcomes of chemical reactions involving encapsulated reactive guests. In this study, we demonstrate that CB8 completely reverses the stereoselectivity of intramolecular [2+2] photo-cycloaddition reactions. Notably, it was also found that CB8 can trigger the unreactive diene to be reactive.

Picking the lock of coordination cage catalysis

The design principles of metallo-organic assembly reactions have facilitated access to hundreds of coordination cages of varying size and shape. Many of these assemblies possess a well-defined cavity capable of hosting a guest, pictorially mimicking the action of a substrate binding to the active site of an enzyme. While there are now a growing collection of coordination cages that show highly proficient catalysis, exhibiting both excellent activity and efficient turnover, this number is still small compared to the vast library of metal-organic structures that are known. In this review, we will attempt to unpick and discuss the key features that make an effective coordination cage catalyst, linking structure to activity (and selectivity) using lessons learnt from both experimental and computational analysis of the most notable exemplars. We will also provide an outlook for this area, reasoning why coordination cages have the potential to become the gold-standard in (synthetic) non-covalent catalysis.

Taming secondary benzylic cations in catalytic asymmetric SN1 reactions

Benzylic stereogenic centers are ubiquitous in natural products and pharmaceuticals. A potentially general, though challenging, approach toward their selective creation would be asymmetric unimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN1) reactions that proceed through highly reactive benzylic cations. We now report a broadly applicable solution to this problem by identifying chiral counteranions that pair with secondary benzylic cations to engage in catalytic asymmetric C-C, C-O, and C-N bond-forming reactions with excellent enantioselectivity. The critical cationic intermediate can be accessed from different precursors via Lewis- or Brønsted acid catalysis. Key to our strategy is the use of only weakly basic, confined counteranions that are posited to prolong the lifetime of the carbocation, thereby avoiding nonproductive deprotonation pathways to the corresponding styrene.

Anion-Regulated Hierarchical Self-Assembly and Chiral Induction of Metallo-Tetrahedra

The precise control over hierarchical self-assembly of superstructures relying on the elaboration of multiple noncovalent interactions between basic building blocks is both elusive and highly desirable. We herein report a terpyridine-based metallo-cage T with a tetrahedral motif and utilized it as an efficient building block for the controlled hierarchical self-assembly of superstructures in response to different halide ions. Initially, the hierarchical superstructure of metallo-cage T adopted a hexagonal close-packed structure. By adding Cl- /Br- or I- , drastically different hierarchical superstructures with highly-tight hexagonal packing or graphite-like packing arrangements, respectively, have been achieved. These unusual halide-ion-triggered hierarchical structural changes resulted in quite distinct intermolecular channels, which provided new insights into the mechanism of three-dimensional supramolecular aggregation and crystal growth based on macromolecular construction. In addition, the chiral induction of the metallo-cage T can be realized with the addition of chiral anions, which stereoselectively generated either PPPP- or MMMM-type enantiomers.

Macrocycle-Strutted Coordination Microparticles for Fluorescence-Monitored Photosensitization and Substrate-Selective Photocatalytic Degradation

The prosperous advancement of supramolecular chemistry has motivated us to construct supramolecular hybrid materials with integrated functionalities. Herein, we report an innovative type of macrocycle-strutted coordination microparticle (MSCM) using pillararenes as the struts and "pockets", which performs unique activities of fluorescence-monitored photosensitization and substrate-selective photocatalytic degradation. Prepared via a convenient one-step solvothermal method, MSCM showcases the incorporation of supramolecular hybridization and macrocycles, endowed with well-ordered spherical architectures, superior photophysical properties, and photosensitizing capacity, where a self-reporting fluorescence response is exhibited upon photoinduced generation of multiple reactive oxygen species. Importantly, photocatalytic behaviors of MSCM show marked divergence toward three different substrates and reveal pronounced substrate-selective catalytic mechanisms, attributing to the variety in the affinity of substrates toward MSCM surfaces and pillararene cavities. This study brings new insight into the design of supramolecular hybrid systems with integrated properties and further exploration of functional macrocycle-based materials.

Toward Coordination Cages with Hybrid Chirality: Amino Acid-Induced Chirality on Metal Centers

Tripodal chiral ligands containing amino acid residues and salicyl-acylhydrazone units were synthesized and used to obtain coordination cages through deprotonation and coordination to gallium. These coordination cages have Ga₃L₂ stoichiometry and pinwheel geometry with two types of chiral centers built into their walls: stereogenic centers at the amino acid backbones and stereoselectively induced centers at metal ions. The pinwheel geometry is unique among analogous cages and originates from the partial flexibility of the ligands. Despite the flexibility, the ligands induce the chirality of metal centers in a highly stereoselective way, leading to the formation of cages that are single diastereoisomers. It has also been demonstrated that stereoselectivity is a unique feature of cage geometry and leads to effective chiral self-sorting: homochiral cages can be obtained selectively from the mixtures of racemic ligands. The configuration of metal centers was determined by circular dichroism, TD DFT calculation, and X-ray crystallography.

Tridentate ligands containing chiral amino acids were used to synthesize coordination cages with gallium ions. Chiral induction on metal centers and chiral self-sorting were observed.

Acid Catalyzed N-Alkylation of Pyrazoles with Trichloroacetimidates

N-Alkyl pyrazoles are important heterocycles in organic and medicinal chemistry, demonstrating a wide range of biological activity. A new method for the N-alkylation of pyrazoles has been developed using trichloroacetimidate electrophiles and a Brønsted acid catalyst. These reactions provide ready access to N-alkyl pyrazoles which are present in a variety of medicinally relevant lead structures. Benzylic, phenethyl and benzhydryl trichloroacetimidates provide good yields of the N-alkyl pyrazole products. Unsymmetrical pyrazoles provide a mixture of the two possible regioisomers, with the major product being controlled by sterics. This methodology provides an alternative to other alkylation methods that require strong base or high temperature.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Acridinium Salts by the Catalyst-Controlled Cyclization of ortho-Quinone Methide Iminiums

Quinone methides are fundamental intermediates for a wide range of reactions in which catalyst stereocontrol is often achieved by hydrogen bonding. Herein, we describe the feasibility of an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts 6π electrocyclization through ortho-quinone methide iminiums stereocontrolled by a contact ion pair. A disulfonimide catalyst activates racemic trichloroacetimidate substrates and imparts stereocontrol in the cyclization step, providing a new avenue for selective ortho-quinone methide iminium functionalization. A highly stereospecific oxidation readily transforms the enantioenriched acridanes into rotationally restricted acridiniums. Upon ion exchange, the method selectively affords atropisomeric acridinium tetrafluoroborate salts in high yields and an enantioenrichment of up to 93 : 7 e.r. We envision that ion-pairing catalysis over ortho-quinone methide iminiums enables the selective synthesis of a diversity of heterocycles and aniline derivatives with distinct stereogenic units.

Moderated Basicity of Endohedral Amine Groups in an Octa-Cationic Self-Assembled Cage

A self-assembled Fe^II₄ L₆ cage was synthesized with 12 internal amines in the cavity. The cage forms as the dodeca-ammonium salt, despite the cage carrying an overall 8+ charge at the metal centers, extracting protons from displaced water in the reaction. Despite this, the basicity of the internal amines is lower than their counterparts in free solution. The 12 amines have a sliding scale of basicity, with a ≈6 pK_a unit difference between the first and last protons to be removed. This moderation of side-chain basicity in an active site is a hallmark of enzymatic catalysis.

Guest-Driven Self-Assembly and Chiral Induction of Photofunctional Lanthanide Tetrahedral Cages

Chiral luminescent lanthanide-organic cages have many potential applications in enantioselective recognition, sensing, and asymmetric catalysis. However, due to the paucity of structures and their limited cavities, host-guest chemistry with lanthanide-organic cages has remained elusive so far. Herein, we report a guest-driven self-assembly and chiral induction approach for the construction of otherwise inaccessible Ln₄L₄-type (Ln = lanthanide ions, i.e., Eu^III, Tb^III; L = ligand) tetrahedral hosts. Single crystal analyses on a series of host-guest complexes reveal remarkable guest-adaptive cavity breathing on the tetrahedral cages, reflecting the advantage of the variation tolerance on coordination geometry of the f-elements. Meanwhile, noncovalent confinement of pyrene within the lanthanide cage not only leads to diminishment of its excimer emission but also facilitates guest to host energy transfer, opening up a new sensitization window for the lanthanide luminescence on the cage. Moreover, stereoselective self-assembly of either Λ₄- or Δ₄- type Eu₄L₄ cages has been realized via chiral induction with R/S-BINOL or R/S-SPOL templates, as confirmed by NMR, circular dichroism (CD), and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with high dissymmetry factors (g_lum) up to ±0.125.

Molecular Assemblies Offering Hydrogen-Bonding Cavities: Influence of Macrocyclic Cavity and Hydrogen Bonding on Dye Adsorption

This work presents a set of Hg macrocycles of amide-phosphine-based ligands offering H-bonding cavities of different dimensions. Such macrocycles are shown to selectively adsorb anionic dyes followed by neutral dyes as well as Prontosil, a biologically relevant antibiotic, within their cavities with the aid of H-bonding-assisted encapsulation. Kinetic experiments supported by spectroscopic and docking studies illustrate the importance of the cavity structure as well as H-bonds for the selective adsorption of dyes.

Homochiral Dodecanuclear Lanthanide "Cage in Cage" for Enantioselective Separation

It is extremely difficult to anticipate the structure and the stereochemistry of a complex, particularly when the ligand is flexible and the metal node adopts diverse coordination numbers. When trivalent lanthanides (Ln^III) and enantiopure amino acid ligands are utilized as building blocks, self-assembly sometimes yields rare chiral polynuclear structures. In this study, an enantiopure carboxyl-functionalized amino acid-based ligand with C₃ symmetry reacts with lanthanum cations to give a homochiral porous coordination cage, (Δ/Λ)₁₂-PCC-57. The dodecanuclear lanthanide cage has an unprecedented octahedral "cage-in-cage" framework. During the self-assembly, the chirality is transferred from the enantiopure ligand and fixed by the binuclear lanthanide cluster to give 12 metal centers that have either Δ or Λ homochiral stereochemistry. The cage exhibits excellent enantioselective separation of racemic alcohols, 2,3-dihydroquinazolinones, and multiple commercially available drugs. This finding exhibits a rare example of a multinuclear lanthanide complex with a dual-walled topology and homochirality. The highly ordered self-assembly and self-sorting of flexible amino acids and lanthanides shed light on the chiral transformation between different complicated artificial systems that mimic natural enzymes.

Enantiopure Polyradical Tetrahedral Pd12 L6 Cages

The synthesis of cages with a polyradical framework remains a challenging task. Herein is reported an enantiomeric pair of quinoid-bridged polyradical tetrahedral palladium(II) cages that are stabilized by an unusual dianionic diradical form (dhbq^..2- ). These cages have been characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance and UV-visible spectroscopy, squid magnetometry and mass spectrometry. Single-crystal-derived X-ray investigations of the iso-structural cages built on fluoranilate linkers confirm the tetrahedral structure of the obtained radical cages. Theoretical calculations showed that the diradical state of the dhbq anions is more stable than the usual monoradical state. A weak ferromagnetic exchange between adjacent radical centers was observed in DFT studies.

New horizons for catalysis disclosed by supramolecular chemistry

The adoption of a supramolecular approach in catalysis promises to address a number of unmet challenges, ranging from activity (unlocking of novel reaction pathways) to selectivity (alteration of the innate selectivity of a reaction, e.g. selective functionalization of C-H bonds) and regulation (switch ON/OFF, sequential catalysis, etc.). Supramolecular tools such as reversible association and recognition, pre-organization of reactants and stabilization of transition states upon binding offer a unique chance to achieve the above goals disclosing new horizons whose potential is being increasingly recognized and used, sometimes reaching the degree of ripeness for practical use. This review summarizes the main developments that have opened such new frontiers, with the aim of providing a guide to researchers approaching the field. We focus on artificial supramolecular catalysts of defined stoichiometry which, under homogeneous conditions, unlock outcomes that are highly difficult if not impossible to attain otherwise, namely unnatural reactivity or selectivity and catalysis regulation. The different strategies recently explored in supramolecular catalysis are concisely presented, and, for each one, a single or very few examples is/are described (mainly last 10 years, with only milestone older works discussed). The subject is divided into four sections in light of the key design principle: (i) nanoconfinement of reactants, (ii) recognition-driven catalysis, (iii) catalysis regulation by molecular machines and (iv) processive catalysis.

Design and Applications of Water-Soluble Coordination Cages

Compartmentalization of the aqueous space within a cell is necessary for life. In similar fashion to the nanometer-scale compartments in living systems, synthetic water-soluble coordination cages (WSCCs) can isolate guest molecules and host chemical transformations. Such cages thus show promise in biological, medical, environmental, and industrial domains. This review highlights examples of three-dimensional synthetic WSCCs, offering perspectives so as to enhance their design and applications. Strategies are presented that address key challenges for the preparation of coordination cages that are soluble and stable in water. The peculiarities of guest binding in aqueous media are examined, highlighting amplified binding in water, changing guest properties, and the recognition of specific molecular targets. The properties of WSCC hosts associated with biomedical applications, and their use as vessels to carry out chemical reactions in water, are also presented. These examples sketch a blueprint for the preparation of new metal-organic containers for use in aqueous solution, as well as guidelines for the engineering of new applications in water.

Selective, cofactor-mediated catalytic oxidation of alkanethiols in a self-assembled cage host

A spacious Fe(ii)-iminopyridine self-assembled cage complex can catalyze the oxidative dimerization of alkanethiols, with air as stoichiometric oxidant. The reaction is aided by selective molecular recognition of the reactants, and the active catalyst is derived from the Fe(ii) centers that provide the structural vertices of the host. The host is even capable of size-selective oxidation and can discriminate between alkanethiols of identical reactivity, based solely on size.

Catalytic enantiocontrol over a non-classical carbocation

Carbocations can be categorized into classical carbenium ions and non-classical carbonium ions. These intermediates are ubiquitous in reactions of both fundamental and practical relevance, finding application in the petroleum industry as well as the discovery of new drugs and materials. Conveying stereochemical information to carbocations is therefore of interest to a range of chemical fields. While previous studies targeted systems proceeding through classical ions, enantiocontrol over their non-classical counterparts has remained unprecedented. Here we show that strong and confined chiral acids catalyse enantioselective reactions via the non-classical 2-norbornyl cation. This reactive intermediate is generated from structurally different precursors by leveraging the reactivity of various functional groups to ultimately deliver the same enantioenriched product. Our work demonstrates that tailored catalysts can act as suitable hosts for simple, non-functionalized carbocations via a network of non-covalent interactions. We anticipate that the methods described herein will provide catalytic accessibility to valuable carbocation systems.

Hierarchically assembled helicates as reaction platform - from stoichiometric Diels-Alder reactions to enamine catalysis

The stereoselectivity of a Diels-Alder reaction within the periphery of hierarchically assembled titanium(IV) helicates formed from mixtures of achiral, reactive and chiral, unreactive ligands was investigated in detail. Following the pathway of the chiral induction, the chiral ligands, solvents as well as substituents at the dienophile were carefully varied. Based on the results of the stoichiometric reaction, a secondary amine-catalyzed nitro-Michael reaction is performed as well which afforded reasonable diastereoselectivities.

Towards a Generalized Synthetic Strategy for Variable Sized Enantiopure M4L4 Helicates

The reliable and predictable synthesis of enantiopure coordination cages is an important step towards the realization of discrete cages capable of enantioselective discrimination. We have built upon our initial report of a lantern-type helical cage in attempts to expand the synthesis into a general approach. The use of a longer, flexible diacid ligand results in the anticipated cage [Cu4(L1)4(solvent)4] with a similar helical pitch to that previously observed and a cavity approximately 30% larger. Using a shorter, more rigid ligand gave rise to a strained, conjoined cage-type complex when using DABCO as an internal bridging ligand, [{Co4(L2)4(DABCO)(OH2)x}2 (DABCO)]. The expected paddlewheel motif only forms for one of the Co2 units within each cage, with the other end adopting a “partial paddlewheel” with aqua ligands completing the coordination sphere of the externally facing metal ion. The generic approach of using chiral diacids to construct lantern-type cages is partially borne out, with it being apparent that flexibility in the core group is an essential structural feature.

Preparation of cage-shaped hexakis(spiroborate)s

In previous research studies, various types of prismatic cage-shaped molecular containers have been prepared and evaluated in terms of their guest inclusion properties. Basically, most of these molecular cages have a cationic or electron-deficient nature, and exhibit strong affinity mainly toward electron-rich aromatic guests. On the other hand, there is no report concerning anionic prismatic cages that are expected to recognize cationic polyaromatic guests with various structures and functions. In this manuscript, we present the preparation of hexakis(spiroborate)-type molecular cages, which was achieved by the reaction of phenylene- or biphenylenebis(dihydroxynaphthalene), hexahydroxytriphenylene, and boric acid in N,N-dimethylformamide. Their triangular prismatic hollow structures were confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis, and it was found that both phenylene- and biphenylene-bridged spiroborate cages have internal cavities of the corresponding size. It was also revealed that tetra(n-butylammonium) cations located inside the cavity and between the two adjacent spiroborate cages resulted in the formation of a one-dimensional columnar array. The molecular recognition behavior of the spiroborate cages was evaluated using tris(pyridinium)triazines as tricationic aromatic guests. ¹H NMR measurement implied that a discrete 1 : 1 host-guest complex was formed when 1 equiv. of guest was added to the cage, whereas infinite one-dimensional aromatic stacks were constructed by the addition of 2 equiv. of guest.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Control of the pKa of Thiol Guests inside Yoctoliter Containers

Despite decades of research, there are still many open questions surrounding the mechanisms by which enzymes catalyze reactions. Understanding all the noncovalent forces involved has the potential to allow de novo catalysis design, and as a step toward this, understanding how to control the charge state of ionizable groups represents a powerful yet straightforward approach to probing complex systems. Here we utilize supramolecular capsules assembled via the hydrophobic effect to encapsulate guests and control their acidity. We find that the greatest influence on the acidity of bound guests is the location of the acidic group within the yoctoliter space. However, the nature of the electrostatic field generated by the (remote) charged solubilizing groups also plays a significant role in acidity, as does counterion complexation to the outer surfaces of the capsules. Taken together, these results suggest new ways by which to affect reactions in confined spaces.

Intermolecular [3+3] ring expansion of aziridines to dehydropiperi-dines through the intermediacy of aziridinium ylides

The importance of N-heterocycles in drugs has stimulated diverse methods for their efficient syntheses. Methods that introduce significant stereochemical complexity are attractive for identifying new bioactive amine chemical space. Here, we report a [3 + 3] ring expansion of bicyclic aziridines and rhodium-bound vinyl carbenes to form complex dehydropiperidines in a highly stereocontrolled rearrangement. Mechanistic studies and DFT computations indicate that the reaction proceeds through formation of a vinyl aziridinium ylide; this reactive intermediate undergoes a pseudo-[1,4]-sigmatropic rearrangement to directly furnish heterocyclic products with net retention at the new C-C bond. In combination with asymmetric silver-catalyzed aziridination, enantioenriched scaffolds with up to three contiguous stereocenters are rapidly delivered. The mild reaction conditions, functional group tolerance, and high stereospecificity of this method are well-suited for appending piperidine motifs to natural product and complex molecules. Ultimately, our work establishes the value of underutilized aziridinium ylides as key intermediates for converting small, strained rings to larger N-heterocycles.

Electron transfer in the confined environments of metal–organic coordination supramolecular systems

In this review, we overview regulatory factors and diverse applications of electron transfer in confined environments of supramolecular host–guest systems.

A Highly Luminescent Chiral Tetrahedral Eu4L4(L')4 Cage: Chirality Induction, Chirality Memory, and Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Chiral lanthanide cages with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties have found potential application in enantioselective guest recognition and sensing. However, it still remains a big challenge to develop a simple and robust method for the diastereoselective assembly of homochiral lanthanide cages in view of the large lability of the Ln(III) ions. Herein, we report the first example of the formation of a enantiopure lanthanide tetrahedral cage via a chiral ancillary ligand induction strategy. One such cage, (Eu₄L₄)(R/S-BINAPO)₄, is assembled by four achiral C₃-symmeric tris(β-diketones) (4,4',4″-tris(4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-dioxobutyl)triphenylamine, L) as faces, four Eu(III) ions as vertices and four chiral R-/S-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)-1,1'-binaphthyl (R/S-BINAPO) as ancillary ligands. X-ray crystallography and NMR and CD spectra confirm the formation of a pair of enantiopure chiral topological tetrahedral cages, (Eu₄L₄)(R-BINAPO)₄ and (Eu₄L₄)(S-BINAPO)₄ (ΔΔΔΔ-1 and ΛΛΛΛ-1). As expected, the tetrahedral cages present strong CPL with |g_lum| values up to 0.20, while they unexpectedly give ultrahigh luminescent quantum yields (QYs) of up to 81%, the highest value reported in chiral Ln(III) complexes. More impressively, the chiral memory effect for a lanthanide-based assembly is observed for the first time. The chirality of the original cage 1 framework is retained after R/S-BINAPO is replaced by the achiral bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether oxide (DPEPO), and thus another pair of enantiopure Eu(III) tetrahedral cages, ΔΔΔΔ- and ΛΛΛΛ-[(Eu₄L₄)(DPEPO)₄] (ΔΔΔΔ-2 and ΛΛΛΛ-2), have been isolated. Encouragingly, cage 2 also presents an impressive luminescence quantum yield (QY = 68%) and intense CPL (|g_lum| = 0.11). This study offers a simple and low-cost synthesis strategy for the preparation of lanthanide cages with CPL properties.

Tunable Fullerene Affinity of Cages, Bowls and Rings Assembled by PdII Coordination Sphere Engineering

For metal-mediated host compounds, the development of strategies to reduce symmetry and introduce multiple functionalities in a non-statistical way is a challenging task. We show that the introduction of steric stress around the coordination environment of square-planar PdII cations and bis-monodentate nitrogen donor ligands allows to control the size and shape of the assembled product, from [Pd2 L4 ] cages over [Pd2 L3 ] bowl-shaped structures to [Pd2 L2 ] rings. Therefore, banana-shaped ligand backbones were equipped with pyridines, two different quinoline isomers and acridine, the latter three introducing steric congestion through hydrogen substituents on annelated benzene rings. Differing behavior of the four resulting hosts towards the binding of C60 and C70 fullerenes was studied and related to structural differences by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The three cages based on pyridine, 6-quinoline or 3-quinoline donors were found to either bind C60 , C70 or no fullerene at all.

Asymmetric Catalysis within the Chiral Confined Space of Metal-Organic Architectures

The effective synthesis of chiral compounds in a highly enantioselective manner is obviously attractive. Inspired by the enzymatic reactions that occur in pocket-like cavities with high efficiency and specificity, chemists are seeking to construct catalysts that mimic this key feature of enzymes. Recent progress in supramolecular coordination chemistry has shown that metal-organic cages (MOCs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with chiral confined cavities/pores may offer a novel platform for achieving asymmetric catalysis with high enantioselectivity. The inherent chiral confined microenvironment is considered to be analogous to the binding pocket of enzymes, and this pocket promotes enantioselective transformations. This work focuses on the recent advances in MOCs and MOFs with chiral confined spaces for asymmetric catalysis, and each section is separated into two parts based on how the chirality is achieved in these metal-organic architectures. A special emphasis is placed on discussing the relationship between the enantioselectivity and the confined spaces of the chiral functional MOCs and MOFs rather than catalytic chemistry. Finally, current challenges and perspectives are discussed. This work is anticipated to offer researchers insights into the design of sophisticated chiral confined space-based metal-organic architectures for asymmetric catalysis with high enantioselectivity.

Ester Formation via Symbiotic Activation Utilizing Trichloroacetimidate Electrophiles

Trichloroacetimidates are useful reagents for the synthesis of esters under mild conditions that do not require an exogenous promoter. These conditions avoid the undesired decomposition of substrates with sensitive functional groups that are often observed with the use of strong Lewis or Brønsted acids. With heating, these reactions have been extended to benzyl esters without electron-donating groups. These inexpensive and convenient methods should find application in the formation of esters in complex substrates.

Size-selective encapsulation of C60 and C60-derivatives within an adaptable naphthalene-based tetragonal prismatic supramolecular nanocapsule

A novel naphthalene-based 5·(BArF)8 capsule allows for the size-selective inclusion of C60 from fullerene mixtures. Its size selectivity towards C60 has been rationalized by its dynamic adaptability in solution that has been investigated by molecular dynamics. Additionally, 5·(BArF)8 encapsulates C60-derivatives such as C60-PCBM and N-methylpyrrolidine-C60. The latter can be separated from C60 since 5·(BArF)8 displays distinct affinity for them.