Synthesis, Chiral Resolution, and Absolute Configuration of Dissymmetric 4,15-Difunctionalized [2.2]Paracyclophanes

Intense Molar Circular Dichroism in Fully Conjugated All-Carbon Macrocyclic 1,3-Butadiyne Linked pseudo-meta [2.2]Paracyclophanes

The synthetic access to macrocyclic molecular topologies with interesting photophysical properties has greatly improved thanks to the successful implementation of organic and inorganic corner units. Based on recent reports, we realized that pseudo-meta [2.2]paracyclophanes (PCPs) might serve as optimal corner units for constructing 3D functional materials, owing to their efficient electronic communication, angled substituents and planar chirality. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization and optical properties of four novel all-carbon enantiopure macrocycles bearing three to six pseudo-meta PCPs linked by 1,3-butadiyne units. The macrocycles were obtained by a single step from enantiopure, literature-known dialkyne pseudo-meta PCP and were unambiguously identified and characterized by state of the art spectroscopic methods and in part even by x-ray crystallography. By comparing the optical properties to relevant reference compounds, it is shown that the pseudo-meta PCP subunit effectively elongates the conjugated system throughout the macrocyclic backbone, such that already the smallest macrocycle consisting of only three subunits reaches a polymer-like conjugation length. Additionally, it is shown that the chiral pseudo-meta PCPs induce a remarkable chiroptical response in the respective macrocycles, reaching unprecedented high molar circular dichroism values for all-carbon macrocycles of up to 1307 L mol^-1  cm^-1 .

Nanosized Carbon Macrocycles Based on a Planar Chiral Pseudo Meta- [2.2]Paracyclophane

Structural designs combining cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) backbone with planar chiral [2.2]Paracyclophane ([2.2]PCP) lead to optical-active chiral macrocycles with intriguing properties. X-ray crystal analysis revealed aesthetic necklace-shaped structures and size-dependent packages with long-range channels. The macrocycles exhibit unique photophysical properties with high fluorescence quantum yield of up to 82%, and the fluorescent color varies with ring size. In addition, size-dependent chiroptical properties with moderately large CPL dissymmetry factor of 10 -3 and CPL brightness in the range of 30 - 40 M -1 cm -1 were observed.

Construction of helical structures with planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophane: fusing helical and planar chiralities

Optically active conjugated molecules bearing one-handed helical structures, in which two [4]helicenes or two phenanthrenes are stacked at terminal benzene moieties, were prepared using enantiopure [2.2]paracyclophane as a chiral scaffold. The obtained molecules exhibited excellent chiroptical properties such as circularly polarized luminescence with high disymmetry factors. Planar chiral pseudo-meta-disubstituted [2.2]paracyclophane was also optically resolved on the sub-gram-scale.

Enantiopure planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanes: Synthesis and applications in asymmetric organocatalysis

This short review focuses on enantiopure planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanes (pCps), a fascinating class of molecules that possess an unusual three-dimensional core and intriguing physicochemical properties. In the first part of the review, different synthetic strategies for preparing optically active pCps are described. Although classical resolution methods based on the synthesis and separation of diastereoisomeric products still dominate the field, recent advances involving the kinetic resolution of racemic compounds and the desymmetrization of meso derivatives open up new possibilities to access enantiopure key intermediates on synthetically useful scales. Due to their advantageous properties including high configurational and chemical stability, [2.2]paracyclophanes are increasingly employed in various research fields, ranging from stereoselective synthesis to material sciences. The applications of [2.2]paracyclophanes in asymmetric organocatalysis are described in the second part of the review. While historically enantiopure pCps have been mainly employed by organic chemists as chiral ligands in transition-metal catalysis, these compounds can also be used as efficient catalysts in metal-free reactions and may inspire the development of new transformations in the near future.

Influencing the Self-Sorting Behavior of [2.2]Paracyclophane-Based Ligands by Introducing Isostructural Binding Motifs

Two isostructural ligands with either nitrile (Lnit ) or isonitrile (Liso ) moieties directly connected to a [2.2]paracyclophane backbone with pseudo-meta substitution pattern have been synthesized. The ligand itself (Lnit ) or its precursors (Liso ) were resolved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase and the absolute configuration of the isolated enantiomers was assigned by XRD analysis and/or by comparison of quantum-chemical simulated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Surprisingly, the resulting metallosupramolecular aggregates formed in solution upon coordination of [(dppp)Pd(OTf)2 ] differ in their composition: whereas Lnit forms dinuclear complexes, Liso exclusively forms trinuclear ones. Furthermore, they also differ in their chiral self-sorting behavior as (rac)-Liso undergoes exclusive social self-sorting leading to a heterochiral assembly, whereas (rac)-Liso shows a twofold preference for the formation of homochiral complexes in a narcissistic self-sorting manner as proven by ESI mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, upon crystallization, these discrete aggregates undergo structural transformation to coordination polymers, as evidenced by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Subcomponent Self-Assembly of a Cyclic Tetranuclear FeII Helicate in a Highly Diastereoselective Self-Sorting Manner

An enantiomerically pure diamine based on the 4,15-difunctionalized [2.2]paracyclophane scaffold and 2-formylpyridine self-assemble into an optically pure cyclic metallosupramolecular Fe4 L6 helicate upon mixing with iron(II) ions in a diastereoselective subcomponent self-assembly process. The cyclic assembly results from steric strain that prevents the formation of a smaller linear dinuclear triple-stranded helicate, and hence, leads to the larger strain-free assembly that fulfils the maximum occupancy rule. Interestingly, use of the racemic diamine also leads to a racemic mixture of the homochiral cyclic helicates as the major product in a highly diastereoselective narcissistic chiral self-sorting manner given the fact that the assembly contains ten stereogenic elements, which can in principle give rise to 149 different diastereomers. The metallosupramolecular aggregates could be characterized by NMR, UV/Vis and CD spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

Efficient resolution of racemic crown-shaped cyclotriveratrylene derivatives and isolation and characterization of the intermediate saddle isomer

The preparative resolution of a trifunctionalized C₃-symmetrical chiral cyclotriveratrylene derivative was achieved via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a chiral stationary phase. This approach is a promising alternative to the previously reported resolution through formation of diastereomeric esters because it involves fewer synthetic steps and is less prone to thermal (re)racemization. During these studies an intermediate saddle conformer could also be isolated and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The HPLC separation method was further developed in order to allow investigations on the racemization behavior of the cyclotriveratrylene derivative.

Highly Enantioselective Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation: A Practical and Scalable Method To Efficiently Access Planar Chiral [2.2]Paracyclophanes

We report herein a general, practical method based on asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) to control the planar chirality of a range of substituted [2.2]paracyclophanes (pCps). Our strategy enabled us to perform both the kinetic resolution (KR) of racemic compounds and the desymmetrization of centrosymmetric meso derivatives on synthetically useful scales. High selectivities (up to 99% ee) and good yields (up to 48% for the KRs and 74% for the desymmetrization reactions) could be observed for several poly-substituted paracyclophanes, including a series of bromine-containing molecules. The optimized processes could be run up to the gram scale without any loss in the reaction efficiencies. Because of its broad applicability, the ATH approach appears to be the method of choice to access planar chiral pCps in their enantiopure form.

Synthesis of paracyclophanes with planar and central chirality: kinetic resolution of [2.2]paracyclophane aldimines via palladium-catalyzed addition of arylboronic acids

Kinetic resolution of [2.2]paracyclophane aldimines was achieved through a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective arylation, providing access to chiral paracyclophanes with planar and central chirality as well as the recovered chiral aldimines.

Chiral self-sorting behaviour of [2.2]paracyclophane-based bis(pyridine) ligands

[2.2]Paracyclophane-based bis(pyridine) ligands form dinuclear complexes upon coordination to palladium(ii) ions, however, with distinct differences concerning their chiral self-sorting ability.

π-Stacked Polymer Consisting of a Pseudo⁻meta⁻[2.2]Paracyclophane Skeleton

A novel π-stacked polymer based on a pseudo–meta–linked [2.2]paracyclophane moieties was synthesized by Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the synthesized polymer and model compounds revealed an extension of the conjugation length owing to the through-space conjugation. The optical properties of the π-stacked dimer with the pseudo–meta–linked [2.2]paracyclophane unit were compared with those of the corresponding dimers with the pseudo–ortho– and pseudo–para–linked [2.2]paracyclophane units.

Circular Dichroisms of Mono- and Dibromo[2.2]paracyclophanes: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

Circular dichroisms (CDs) of planar chiral 4-bromo[2.2]paracyclophane (1) and three isomeric dibromo[2.2]paracyclophanes (p-2, m'-2, and o'-2) were investigated experimentally and theoretically. They all exhibited strong multisignate Cotton effects (CEs) at the ¹L_b, ¹L_a, and ¹B transitions of the component (bromo)benzene chromophore and were comparable to each other. For all of the cyclophanes examined, the enantiomer that eluted earlier from a chiral high-performance liquid chromatography column (Chiralcel IA or IB) exhibited negative and positive CEs at the ¹L_b and ¹L_a bands, respectively, which were followed by a more complicated pattern of CDs at the higher-energy bands. These CD features were well reproduced by quantum chemical calculations, allowing us to unambiguously assign the absolute configurations of the first-eluted enantiomers as R _p in all of the cases examined. Interestingly, the CDs of 1 and 2, although largely comparable in shape, were still sensitive to the number and pattern of bromine substitution, showing closer resemblance between m'-2 and o'-2 and between p-2 and 1. The theoretical calculations also reproduced successfully these spectral resemblance between them. The anisotropy (g) factors for the ¹L_b bands of these cyclophanes were considerably large (∼10^-2), whereas those for the ¹L_a band were conventional in the order of 10^-3. In addition, a weak CE was observed in the low-energy region at around 320 nm, which turned out to originate from the interplanar interaction and is hence assigned to the "cyclophane band". The experimental g factors of this band were fairly large in the order of 10^-2, but the computation turned out to be quite challenging and were less well reproduced theoretically, ascribable to the forbidden nature of the transition.

Diastereoselective Self-Assembly of a Neutral Dinuclear Double-Stranded Zinc(II) Helicate via Narcissistic Self-Sorting

A new bis(salicylimine) ligand based on the Tröger's base scaffold was synthesized in racemic and enantiomerically pure form. Upon coordination to zinc(II) ions this ligand undergoes highly diastereoselective self-assembly into neutral dinuclear double-stranded helicates as proven by XRD analysis and via comparison of experimental ECD spectra with those simulated with quantum-chemical methods. When the racemic ligand was used, self-assembly occurs under narcissistic self-sorting resulting in the formation of a racemic pair of helicates as revealed by NMR spectroscopy and XRD analysis.

The synthesis of substituted amino[2.2]paracyclophanes

Amino[2.2]paracyclophanes can be prepared by direct amination of bromo[2.2]paracyclophanes or more generally by a formylation–oxime formation–oxidation–Lossen-like rearrangement sequence.

Planar chiral desymmetrization of a two-layered cyclophane and control of dynamic helicity through the arrangement of two nonstereogenic centers

Dynamic helicity generated in a configurationally stable cyclophane is controlled through the arrangement of two nonstereogenic centers with different dimensions.

The preparation of new functionalized [2.2]paracyclophane derivatives with N-containing functional groups

The two isomeric bis(isocyanates) 4,12- and 4,16-di-isocyanato[2.2]paracyclophane, 16 and 28, have been prepared from their corresponding diacids by simple routes. The two isomers are versatile intermediates for the preparation of various cyclophanes bearing substituents with nitrogen-containing functional groups, e.g., the pseudo-ortho diamine 8, the bis secondary amine 23, and the crownophanes 18 and 19. Several of these new cyclophane derivatives (18, 19, 22, 26, 28) have been characterized by X-ray structural analysis.

Charge density investigations on [2,2]-paracyclophane – in data we trust

Four datasets on [2,2]-paracyclophane were collected in-house and at the Advanced Photon Source at two different temperatures for charge density investigation. Global data quality indicators such as high resolution, high I/σ(I) values, low merging R values and high multiplicity were matched for all four datasets. The structural parameters did not show significant differences, but the synchrotron data depicted deficiencies in the topological analysis. In retrospect these deficiencies could be assigned to the low quality of the innermost data, which could have been identified by e.g. merging R values for only these reflections. In the multipole refinement these deficiencies could be monitored using DRK-plot and residual density analysis. In this particular example the differences in the topological parameters were relatively small but significant.