Catalytic Y-tailed amphiphilic homopolymers - aqueous nanoreactors for high activity, low loading SCS pincer catalysts

Cascade Processes with Micellar Reaction Media: Recent Advances and Future Directions

Reducing the use of solvents is an important aim of green chemistry. Using micelles self-assembled from amphiphilic molecules dispersed in water (considered a green solvent) has facilitated reactions of organic compounds. When performing reactions in micelles, the hydrophobic effect can considerably accelerate apparent reaction rates, as well as enhance selectivity. Here, we review micellar reaction media and their potential role in sustainable chemical production. The focus of this review is applications of engineered amphiphilic systems for reactions (surface-active ionic liquids, designer surfactants, and block copolymers) as reaction media. Micelles are a versatile platform for performing a large array of organic chemistries using water as the bulk solvent. Building on this foundation, synthetic sequences combining several reaction steps in one pot have been developed. Telescoping multiple reactions can reduce solvent waste by limiting the volume of solvents, as well as eliminating purification processes. Thus, in particular, we review recent advances in “one-pot” multistep reactions achieved using micellar reaction media with potential applications in medicinal chemistry and agrochemistry. Photocatalyzed reactions in micellar reaction media are also discussed. In addition to the use of micelles, we emphasize the process (steps to isolate the product and reuse the catalyst).

End-functionalized polymers by controlled/living radical polymerizations: synthesis and applications

This review focuses on end-functionalized polymers synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerizations and the applications in fields including bioconjugate formation, surface modification, topology construction, and self-assembly.

Self-assembly behavior of oligo(ethylene glycol) substituted polycaprolactone homopolymers

In this work, non-ionic amphiphilic oligo(ethylene glycol)-substituted polycaprolactone homopolymers readily self-assembled to form micelles in a polar environment, which allowed the encapsulation of a hydrophobic molecule.

Multiple Association-Dissociation Equilibria in Solutions of Amphiphilic Molecules

Amphiphilic molecules form micelles and complexes with proteins in solutions to provide unique functions, utilized in various fields of chemistry and biology, and multiple association-dissociation equilibria, governing the micellization and complexation, are key issues in these fields. The present feature article first presents an overview of theoretical backgrounds of the multiple association-dissociation equilibria in solutions of amphiphiles and then applies the theoretical results to the following four solution systems of amphiphilic molecules to understand their micellization and complexation behavior: the reverse micelle of the polymer living anion, the hydrophobe-uptake spherical micelle, the cylindrical micelle of surfactants, and the protein-surfactant complex.

Base-free Ni-catalyzed Suzuki-type cross-coupling reactions of epoxides with boronic acids

A Ni-catalyzed Suzuki-type cross-coupling of boronic acids with epoxides without an exogenous base and with broad substrate scope has been developed.

pH-Responsive Micellar Nanoassemblies from Water-Soluble Telechelic Homopolymers Endcoding Acid-Labile Middle-Chain Groups in Their Hydrophobic Sequence-Defined Initiator Residue

A middle-chain cleavable telechelic poly(oligoethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate) (MCCT-POEGA-Br) was synthesized by single-electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) initiated from an acetal-containing hydrophobic sequence-defined difunctional initiator. In aqueous medium, above a certain concentration, this hydrophilic homopolymer self-assembled into nanogel-like large micelles that exhibit an encapsulating capacity for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic cargo. The sequence-defined cleavage pattern encoded in the initiator residue allowed precise middle-chain cleavage, leading to quantitative disassembly of the corresponding nanoobjects. Dye release studies performed in an acidic environment demonstrated the potential of this new design concept in the preparation of pH-responsive nanocarriers. In addition, fluorescently tagged nanoassemblies could also be obtained via the thio-bromo "click" modification of MCCT-POEGA-Br prior to self-assembly. This strategy may provide facile access to a diversity of multistimuli-responsive nanocarriers based on commercially available hydrophilic monomers and sequence-defined difunctional initiators synthesized by this simple design strategy.

Cu-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of vinyl epoxide with organoboron compounds: access to homoallylic alcohols

Copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of vinyl epoxide with arylboronates to obtain aryl-substituted homoallylic alcohols are described. The reaction selectivity was different to that of previously reported vinyl epoxide ring-opening reactions using aryl nucleophiles. The reaction proceeded under mild conditions, affording aryl-substituted homoallylic alcohols with high selectivity and in good to excellent yields. The reaction provides convenient access to aryl-substituted homoallylic alcohols from vinyl epoxide.

Nanoreactors for green catalysis

Sustainable and environmentally benign production are key drivers for developments in the chemical industrial sector, as protecting our planet has become a significant element that should be considered for every industrial breakthrough or technological advancement. As a result, the concept of green chemistry has been recently defined to guide chemists towards minimizing any harmful outcome of chemical processes in either industry or research. Towards greener reactions, scientists have developed various approaches in order to decrease environmental risks while attaining chemical sustainability and elegancy. Utilizing catalytic nanoreactors for greener reactions, for facilitating multistep synthetic pathways in one-pot procedures, is imperative with far-reaching implications in the field. This review is focused on the applications of some of the most used nanoreactors in catalysis, namely: (polymer) vesicles, micelles, dendrimers and nanogels. The ability and efficiency of catalytic nanoreactors to carry out organic reactions in water, to perform cascade reaction and their ability to be recycled will be discussed.

Palladium-polymer nanoreactors for the aqueous asymmetric synthesis of therapeutic flavonoids

Polymeric core–shell micelles incorporating a chiral palladium pyridinooxazoline catalyst are presented as nanoreactors for the aqueous asymmetric synthesis of flavanones, a class of flavonoids, with therapeutic properties.

End-Functionalized Palladium SCS Pincer Polymers via Controlled Radical Polymerizations

A direct and facile route toward semitelechelic polymers, end-functionalized with palladated sulfur-carbon-sulfur pincer (Pd^II -pincer) complexes is reported that avoids any post-polymerization step. Key to our methodology is the combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization with functionalized chain-transfer agents. This strategy yields Pd end-group-functionalized materials with monomodal molar mass dispersities (Đ) of 1.18-1.44. The RAFT polymerization is investigated using a Pd^II -pincer chain-transfer agent for three classes of monomers: styrene, tert-butyl acrylate, and N-isopropylacrylamide. The ensuing Pd^II -pincer end-functionalized polymers are analyzed using ¹ H NMR spectroscopy, gel-permeation chromatography, and elemental analysis. The RAFT polymerization methodology provides a direct pathway for the fabrication of Pd^II -pincer functionalized polymers with complete end-group functionalization.

Detailed Structural Analysis of a Self-Assembled Vesicular Amphiphilic NCN-Pincer Palladium Complex by Using Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering and Molecular Dynamics Calculations

Wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments and all-atomistic molecular dynamics calculations were performed to elucidate the detailed structure of bilayer vesicles constructed by self-assembly of an amphiphilic palladium NCN-pincer complex. We found an excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated X-ray spectra, and between the membrane thickness determined from a TEM image and that calculated from an electron-density profile, which indicated that the calculated structure was highly reliable. The analysis of the simulated bilayer structure showed that in general the membrane was softer than other phospholipid bilayer membranes. In this bilayer assemblage, the degree of alignment of complex molecules in the bilayer membrane was quite low. An analysis of the electron-density profile shows that the bilayer assemblage contains a space through which organic molecules can exit. Furthermore, the catalytically active center is near this space and is easily accessible by organic molecules, which permits the bilayer membrane to act as a nanoreactor. The free energy of permeation of water through the bilayer membrane of the amphiphilic complex was 12 kJ mol^-1 , which is much lower than that for phospholipid bilayer membranes in general. Organic molecules are expected to pass though the bilayer membrane. The self-assembled vesicles were shown to be catalytically active in a Miyaura-Michael reaction in water.

Cavitation-enabled rapid and tunable evolution of high-χN micelles as templates for ordered mesoporous oxides

The kinetic-entrapment of block copolymer micelles enables size-persistence, however tuning micelle sizes under such conditions remains challenging. Agitation-induced chain exchange via vortexing is limited by the production of solution-air interfaces. Here, we use ultrasonic cavitation for rapid interface production that accelerates micelle growth by an order of magnitude over vortexing.

Recyclable l-Proline Functional Nanoreactors with Temperature-Tuned Activity Based on Core-Shell Nanogels

Recyclable core-shell (CS) nanogels based on l-proline-containing hydrophobic cores with a thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shell have been synthesized via a seeded precipitation polymerization process. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to verify the successful addition of the shell and investigate the thermoresponsive properties of the nanostructures. The catalytic activity of the nanogels was assessed in a model asymmetric aldol reaction, where an enhancement was observed with increasing temperature, attributed to the hydrophobic nature of the PNIPAM shell. However, when a nanogel was synthesized with core-shell morphology based on a gradient of cross-linking density in the corona (GS), a dramatic drop in activity was observed at elevated temperatures: the collapse of the outer, lightly cross-linked, "corona" polymer chains appears to block access to the catalytic core. High activity and enantioselectivity were maintained in a number of recovery and reuse cycles, highlighting the recycling potential of these catalytic nanostructures.

Cyclization of alkynoic acids in water in the presence of a vesicular self-assembled amphiphilic pincer palladium complex catalyst

Alkynoic acids were cyclized in the presence of a vesicular palladium-based catalyst and a catalytic amount of triethylamine in water to give the corresponding lactones in moderate-to-good yields. The formation of a vesicular structure was shown to be essential for the promotion of the reaction.

Unlocking Chain Exchange in Highly Amphiphilic Block Polymer Micellar Systems: Influence of Agitation

Chain exchange between block polymer micelles in highly selective solvents, such as water, is well-known to be arrested under quiescent conditions, yet this work demonstrates that simple agitation methods can induce rapid chain exchange in these solvents. Aqueous solutions containing either pure poly(butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) or pure poly(butadiene-b-ethylene oxide-d4) micelles were combined and then subjected to agitation by vortex mixing, concentric cylinder Couette flow, or nitrogen gas sparging. Subsequently, the extent of chain exchange between micelles was quantified using small angle neutron scattering. Rapid vortex mixing induced chain exchange within minutes, as evidenced by a monotonic decrease in scattered intensity, whereas Couette flow and sparging did not lead to measurable chain exchange over the examined time scale of hours. The linear kinetics with respect to agitation time suggested a surface-limited exchange process at the air-water interface. These findings demonstrate the strong influence of processing conditions on block polymer solution assemblies.

Studying the activity of the MacMillan catalyst embedded within hydrophobic cross-linked polymeric nanostructures

The immobilization of the MacMillan catalyst within a unique hydrophobic environment created by a lightly cross-linked nanogel structure and its resulting catalytic activity is reported.

Aqueous asymmetric cyclopropanation reactions in polymersome membranes

Copper-bis(oxazoline) functionalised polymersomes have been developed for asymmetric cyclopropanation reactions in water.

How does a tiny terminal alkynyl end group drive fully hydrophilic homopolymers to self-assemble into multicompartment vesicles and flower-like complex particles?

We report an unusual self-assembly behavior driven by a tiny terminal alkynyl end group in fully hydrophilic homopolymers which form multicompartment vesicles and flower-like nanoparticles in aqueous solution.

Structural characterization of amphiphilic homopolymer micelles using light scattering, SANS, and cryo-TEM

We report the aqueous solution self-assembly of a series of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymers end-functionalized with a hydrophobic sulfur-carbon-sulfur (SCS) pincer ligand. Although the hydrophobic ligand accounted for <5 wt% of the overall homopolymer mass, the polymers self-assembled into well-defined spherical micelles in aqueous solution, and these micelles are potential precursors to solution-assembled nanoreactors for small molecule catalysis applications. The micelle structural details were investigated using light scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Radial density profiles extracted from the cryo-TEM micrographs suggested that the PNIPAM chains formed a diffuse corona with a radially decreasing corona density profile and provided valuable a priori information about the micelle structure for SANS data modeling. SANS analysis indicated a similar profile in which the corona surrounded a small hydrophobic core containing the pincer ligand. The similarity between the SANS and cryo-TEM results demonstrated that detailed information about the micelle density profile can be obtained directly from cryo-TEM and highlighted the complementary use of scattering and cryo-TEM in the structural characterization of solution-assemblies, such as the SCS pincer-functionalized homopolymers described here.