Highly Selective Fluoride Recognition by a Small Tris-Urea Covalent Cage

A highly selective recognition of fluoride was achieved through the design of a small hemicryptophane cage (3) presenting a southern tris-urea hosting moiety. The resulting host-guest complex has been characterized by electrospray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, and X-ray diffraction techniques. In particular, X-ray diffraction analysis of [3·F^-] reveals that the encapsulation of one fluoride, within 3, occurs through NH···F^- H-bonding with the six NH residues of the tris-urea ligand. An association constant of 1200 M^-1 was extracted from ¹H NMR titration experiments, indicating that efficient fluoride binding also occurs in solution. Finally, in sharp contrast with previously reported urea-based hemicryptophane hosts, the small preorganized cavity found in 3 allows for an exclusive selectivity for fluoride over other competing halides.

ON/OFF Control of the Flipping Motion of Diuranyl Bis(Salophen) Macrocycle by Extremely Strong Binding with Fluoride Ion

Diuranyl bis(salophen) complex 1 features a relatively slow conformational motion, induced by an intramolecular O═U═O···UO₂ binding motif, which interconverts the two nonsymmetric halves of the ligand. This flipping motion, which constitutes one of the fundamental molecular motions, can be completely halted by addition of fluoride anion, which is bound to 1, reaching one of the highest affinities reported to date. This system represents a model to study flipping dynamics in light of the possibility of developing novel types of molecular machines based on it.

Synthesis and electronic structure determination of uranium(vi) ligand radical complexes

Pentagonal bipyramidal uranyl (UO₂²⁺) complexes of salen ligands were prepared and the electronic structure of the one-electron oxidized species[1a–c]+were investigated in solution.

A nano-sized container for specific encapsulation of isolated water molecules

This calix[4]arene-based molecular box is able to encapsulate specifically two isolated water molecules in both non-protic and protic solvents.

Fluoride binding in water with the use of micellar nanodevices based on salophen complexes

Uranyl-salophen complexes incorporated into micelles are evaluated as supramolecular nanosystems for the binding of fluoride in water.

Lewis acidic stiborafluorenes for the fluorescence turn-on sensing of fluoride in drinking water at ppm concentrations

Lewis acidic organoantimony(v) derivatives have been developed for the fluorescence turn-on sensing of fluoride in biphasic water–CH₂Cl₂mixtures at sub-ppm concentrations.

A zinc-salophen/bile-acid conjugate receptor solubilized by CTABr micelles binds phosphate in water

Receptor 1, composed of two deoxycholic acid moieties appended to a Zn-salophen complex, was prepared, characterized and tested for anion binding by (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. While in polar DMSO, 1 is able to bind phosphate (K = ∼700 M(-1)), the addition of water severely diminishes the association. In a 1 : 9 water-DMSO mixture, the binding constant K is only ca. 20 M(-1). Notably, in an aqueous solution of CTABr micelles (CTABr 10 mM, cmc = ∼1 mM), the zinc-salophen conjugate 1, due to its two non-polar bile-acid moieties, becomes solubilized and, most importantly, it almost completely recovers its binding ability towards phosphate, displaying a remarkable affinity (K = ∼450 M(-1)) in water.

Highlights on contemporary recognition and sensing of fluoride anion in solution and in the solid state

The fluoride anion has recently gained well deserved attention among the scientific community for its importance in many fields of human activities, but also for concerns on its effect on health and the environment. Although surprisingly overlooked in systematic studies in the past, fluoride has nowadays become a topical target in the field of anion recognition. A multitude of scientific reports are published every year where the establishment of efficient and specific interaction with fluoride is sought in polar and aqueous media. Here, the emphasis is directed to a detailed description of the most interesting contemporary studies in the field, with a particular focus given to those published in the last few years.

Colorimetric probes based on anthraimidazolediones for selective sensing of fluoride and cyanide ion via intramolecular charge transfer

Probes based on anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-dione were designed and synthesized for selective ion sensing. Each probe acted as strong colorimetric sensors for fluoride and cyanide ions and exhibited intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) band, which showed significant red-shifts after addition of either the F(-) or CN(-) ion. One of the probes (2) showed selective colorimetric sensing for both cyanide and fluoride ions. In organic medium, 2 showed selective color change with fluoride and cyanide, whereas in aqueous organic medium it showed a ratiometric response selectively for cyanide ion.

A dinuclear zinc complex with (E)-4-dimethyl-amino-N'-(2-hy-droxy-benzyl-idene)benzohydrazide

The title compound, bis­[μ-(E)-2-({2-[4-(dimethyl­amino)­benzo­yl]hydrazinyl­idene}meth­yl)phenolato]bis­[formato­zinc], [Zn₂(C₁₆H₁₆N₃O₂)₂(CHO₂)₂], is a dinuclear Zn^II complex containing two Zn^II cations, two monovalent anions of a Schiff base ligand, 4-dimethyl­amino-N′-(2-hy­droxy­benzyl­idene)benzohydrazide (L), and two formate ions. Each Zn^II atom chelates with the hy­droxy O atom of salicyl­aldehyde, the imine N atom, the carbonyl O atom, the formate carboxyl­ate O atom and the hy­droxy O atom of the salicyl­aldehyde moiety in a symmetry-related unit. The five-coordinate Zn^II atoms form a dimeric centrosymmetric unit with a central parallelepiped Zn₂O₂ core and parallel faces derived from the Schiff base ligands. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the amide N atom and the formate carboxyl­ate O atom.

A molecular half-subtractor with Zn2+ and UV-light as inputs

The salen-type Schiff base (2,2'-bis(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (BHB)) has been synthesized and characterized. Exhibiting absorption and fluorescence changes in the presence of Zn(2+) in chloroform and ethanol mixed solution, BHB could be used as a fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of Zn(2+). Furthermore, by monitoring the fluorescence and absorbance as output signals, BHB can function as a combinatorial logic circuit for a molecular half-subtractor with Zn(2+) and UV irradiation as input variables.

A simple and efficient anionic chromogenic chemosensor based on 2,4-dinitrodiphenylamine in dimethyl sulfoxide and in dimethyl sulfoxide-water mixtures

Solutions of 2,4-dinitrodiphenylamine (1) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) are colorless but upon deprotonation they become red. Addition of various anionic species (HSO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), NO(3)(-), CN(-), CH(3)COO(-), F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), and I(-)) to solutions of 1 revealed that only CN(-), F(-), CH(3)COO(-), and H(2)PO(4)(-) led to the appearance of the red color in solution. The presence of increasing amounts of water in solutions containing 1 made it progressively selective toward CN(-) and the system with the addition of 4.3% (v/v) of water was highly selective for CN(-) among all anions studied. The experimental data collected indicated that proton transfer from 1 to the anion occurs, and a model was used to explain the experimental results, which considers two 1:anion stoichiometries, 1:1 and 1:2. For the latter, the data suggest that the anion forms firstly a hydrogen-bonded complex with a second anion equivalent necessary for the abstraction of the proton, with the formation of a [HA(2)](-) complex. The study performed here demonstrates the important role of the environment of the anion and 1 for the efficiency of the chromogenic chemosensor. Besides the different affinities of each anion for water, the solvation of both the anion and 1 is responsible for reducing the interaction between these species. In small amounts, water or hydrogen-bonded DMSO-water complexes are able to stabilize the conjugated base of 1 through hydrogen bonding, making 1 more acidic, which explains the change from 1:1 and 1:2 toward 1:1 1:anion stoichiometry upon addition of water. In addition, water is able to solvate the anion and also 1, which hinders the formation of 1:1 hydrogen-bonded 1:anion complexes prior to the abstraction of the proton.

Recognition and sensing of fluoride anion

Fluoride anion recognition is attracting a mounting interest in the scientific community due to its duplicitous nature. It is a useful chemical for many industrial applications, and it has been used in human diet, but, recently it has been accused for several human pathologies. Here we describe the ample panorama of different approaches the chemists world-wide have employed to face the challenge of fluoride binding, and we outline some of the research which in our view can contribute to the development of this field, especially when fluoride binding has to be achieved in highly competitive protic solvents and water.