Supramolecular Photochirogenesis with Cyclodextrin−Silica Composite. Enantiodifferentiating Photocyclodimerization of 2-Anthrancenecarboxylate with Mesoporous Silica Wall-Capped γ-Cyclodextrin

Synergetic effects in the enantiodifferentiating photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid mediated by β-cyclodextrin-pillar[5]arene-hybridized hosts

Tri-cavity hosts consisting of one pillar[5]arene (P5) sandwiched by two β-cyclodextrins (CDs) were synthesized, and their diastereoseparation was successfully accomplished. Photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylate with these hybrid hosts demonstrated the critical dependence of stereoselectivity on the absolute configuration of the central P5 and the conjugating positions on the β-CD, and gave the non-classical HT photodimers in up to 87% ee.

Supramolecular photochirogenesis

Supramolecular photochirogenesis is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary area of science at the boundary of photochemistry, asymmetric synthesis and supramolecular chemistry. The major advantage of supramolecular photochirogenesis over the conventional molecular one is entropic in origin, being achieved by preorganizing substrate(s) in the ground state and manipulating subsequent photochemical transformation by weak but non-transient interactions in chiral supramolecular media. The chirality transfer often becomes more efficient through the cooperative non-covalent interactions and the confinement by host in both ground and excited states. Thus, all of the ground- and excited-state events, including complexation stoichiometry and affinity, chiroptical properties, photophysical behaviour and photochemical reactivity, jointly play pivotal roles in supramolecular photochirogenesis. This may appear to cause complication but in reality expands the range of manipulable factors and available experimental/theoretical tools for elucidating the mechanism and controlling photochirogenic processes both thermodynamically and kinetically, from which some new concepts/methodologies unique to supramolecular photochemistry, such as non-sensitizing catalytic photochirogenesis and wavelength-controlled photochirogenesis, have already been developed. In this review, we will discuss the recent progress and future perspective of supramolecular photochirogenesis.

Supramolecular catalysis. Part 2: artificial enzyme mimics

The design of artificial catalysts able to compete with the catalytic proficiency of enzymes is an intense subject of research. Non-covalent interactions are thought to be involved in several properties of enzymatic catalysis, notably (i) the confinement of the substrates and the active site within a catalytic pocket, (ii) the creation of a hydrophobic pocket in water, (iii) self-replication properties and (iv) allosteric properties. The origins of the enhanced rates and high catalytic selectivities associated with these properties are still a matter of debate. Stabilisation of the transition state and favourable conformations of the active site and the product(s) are probably part of the answer. We present here artificial catalysts and biomacromolecule hybrid catalysts which constitute good models towards the development of truly competitive artificial enzymes.