Synthesis and Properties of Bis-Porphyrin Molecular Tweezers: Effects of Spacer Flexibility on Binding and Supramolecular Chirogenesis

Effects of Electron-Withdrawing and Electron-Donating Groups on Aromaticity in Cyclic Conjugated Polyenes

Determining the aromaticity of various fluorinated benzenes is challenging as easily obtained experimental aromaticity [Δδ(Houter - Hinner)] necessitates the chemical shifts of inner and outer protons. This issue was addressed in porphyrinoids by replacing the electron-withdrawing (E.W.) groups at the meso-positions of porphyrins and allyliporphyrins. Electronic effects on aromaticity in porphyrinoids have not been thoroughly examined in the literature. In porphyrins, the effect of E.W. groups is minimal, making it difficult to establish a clear relationship between the aromaticity strength and E.W. groups. Conversely, in allyliporphyrins, stronger E.W. groups, such as indandione (IND) derivatives, significantly reduce the aromaticity of the parent structure. The IND derivatives disrupted the aromatic pathway of allyliporphyrin more effectively than those attached to porphyrins. This is attributed to the absence of β-carbons in allyliporphyrins. The effect of electron-donating (E.D.) groups on porphyrins and allyliporphyrins was further investigated. Contrary to the initial assumption that the E.D. groups might enhance aromaticity owing to their ability to increase electron density, as the strength of the E.D. groups increased, the aromaticity of the porphyrinoids decreased. Despite the modest reduction in aromaticity, any form of electron perturbation reduces aromaticity. The aromaticity of various fluorinated benzenes is expected to parallel our observations of porphyrinoids as representative aromatic polyenes.

Host-Guest Complexation of Bisporphyrin Cleft and Electron-Deficient Aromatic Guests

The host-guest complexation of a bisporphyrin cleft with various electron-deficient guest molecules was studied in solution and in the solid-state. X-ray crystal structures of a bisporphyrin cleft with naphthalene dianhydride and 2,4,7-trinitrofluorenone reveal that these guest molecules were located within the bisporphyrin cleft and formed ideal π-π stacking interactions in a host-guest ratio of 1:1. Isothermal titration calorimetry determined the binding constants and thermodynamic parameters for the 1:1 host-guest complexations in 1,2-dichloroethane and toluene. Two types of enthalpy-entropy compensation effects were found: (1) The tightly stacked host-guest structures restrict guest movement within the cleft, which results in significant desolvation with large intrinsic entropies. (2) The loosely bound guests maintain their molecular freedom within the bisporphyrin cleft, which leads to less desolvation with small intrinsic entropies. Chiral guest encapsulation directed the clockwise and anticlockwise twisted conformations of the bisporphyrin units, which induced bisignate CDs.

Evaluation of the Correlation between Porphyrin Accumulation in Cancer Cells and Functional Porphyrin Positions of the Phenyl Group

Porphyrin selectively shows tumour accumulation and has attracted attention as a carrier molecule for drug delivery systems (DDS). Porphyrin has two functional sites termed the meso- and β-positions. In previous work, meso-porphyrin derivatives with an alkyl group were found to exhibit greater accumulation in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). To identify the correlation between porphyrin accumulation and functional porphyrin positions of other functional groups, the accumulation of porphyrin derivatives with a phenyl group was investigated. The β-porphyrin derivative with a phenyl group showed higher accumulation in MCF-7 cells and greater affinity for albumin than the meso-porphyrin derivative. The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the β-porphyrin derivative with a phenyl group had higher planarity across the total structure than the meso-porphyrin derivative. It was concluded that the greater planarity of the β-porphyrin derivative with a phenyl group might lead to superior MCF-7 cell accumulation.

Macrocyclic Receptors for Identification and Selective Binding of Substrates of Different Nature

Molecular recognition of host/guest molecules represents the basis of many biological processes and phenomena. Enzymatic catalysis and inhibition, immunological response, reproduction of genetic information, biological regulatory functions, the effects of drugs, and ion transfer-all these processes include the stage of structure recognition during complexation. The goal of this review is to solicit and publish the latest advances in the design and sensing and binding abilities of porphyrin-based heterotopic receptors with well-defined geometries, the recognition ability of which is realized due to ionic, H-bridge, charge transfer, hydrophobic, and hydrophilic interactions. The dissection of the considered low-energy processes at the molecular scale expands our capabilities in the development of effective systems for controlled recognition, selective delivery, and prolonged release of substrates of different natures (including drugs) to their sites of functioning.

Binding Properties of a Dinuclear Zinc(II) Salen-Type Molecular Tweezer with a Flexible Spacer in the Formation of Lewis Acid-Base Adducts with Diamines

In this paper we report the binding properties, by combined 1H NMR, optical absorption, and fluorescence studies, of a molecular tweezer composed of two Zn(salen)-type Schiff-base units connected by a flexible spacer, towards a series of ditopic diamines having a strong Lewis basicity, with different chain length and rigidity. Except for the 1,2-diaminoethane, in all other cases the formation of stable 1:1 Lewis acid-base adducts with large binding constants is demonstrated. For α,ω-aliphatic diamines, binding constants progressively increase with the increasing length of the alkyl chain, thanks to the flexible nature of the spacer and the parallel decreased conformational strain upon binding. Stable adducts are also found even for short diamines with rigid molecular structures. Given their preorganized structure, these latter species are not subjected to loss of degrees of freedom. The binding characteristics of the tweezer have been exploited for the colorimetric and fluorometric selective and sensitive detection of piperazine.

Stiff-Stilbene Photoswitches: From Fundamental Studies to Emergent Applications

Stiff-stilbene, a sterically restricted fused ring analogue of stilbene, has been regularly used as a model compound in theoretical studies of stilbene photoisomerization. Lately, owing to its excellent photoswitching properties, it is increasingly being applied to reversibly control the properties and function of chemical as well as biological systems. Stiff-stilbene photoswitches possess a number of advantageous properties including a high quantum yield for photoisomerization and a high thermal stability. Furthermore, they undergo a large geometrical change upon isomerization and their synthesis is straightforward. Herein, we provide an overview of the basic properties of stiff-stilbene and of recent applications in supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, and biological systems.

Effect of ring rize on photoisomerization properties of stiff stilbene macrocycles

A series of stiff stilbene macrocycles have been studied to investigate the possible impact of the macrocycle ring size on their photodynamic properties. The results show that reducing the ring size counteracts the photoisomerization ability of the macrocycles. However, even the smallest macrocycle studied (stiff stilbene subunits linked by a six carbon chain) showed some degree of isomerization when irradiated. DFT calculations of the energy differences between the E- and Z-isomers show the same trend as the experimental results. Interestingly the DFT study highlights that the energy difference between the E- and Z-isomers of even the largest macrocycle (linked by a twelve carbon chain) is significantly higher than that of the stiff stilbene unit itself. In general, it is indicated that addition of even a flexible chain to the stiff stilbene unit may significantly affect its photochemical properties and increase the photostability of the resulting macrocycle.

Hydrogenolysis of carbon–carbon σ-bonds using water catalysed by semi-rigid diiridium(iii) porphyrins

Semi-rigid diiridium(iii) porphyrins alkyls with m-xylyl and p-xylyl diether linkers were synthesized. They were found to be catalysts for the carbon–carbon σ-bond hydrogenolysis of [2.2]paracyclophane in neutral conditions using water as the hydrogen source.

Molecular tweezers with a rotationally restricted linker and freely rotating porphyrin moieties

The effect of the degree of conformational rigidity and/or flexibility on preorganisation in artificial molecular receptors continues to be actively explored by supramolecular chemists. This work describes a bis-porphyrin architecture, linked via a rigid polycyclic backbone, in which a sterically bulky 2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenyl diimide core restricts rotation to afford two non-interconvertible tweezer conformations; syn- and anti-. After separation, the host-guest chemistry of each conformation was studied independently. The difference in host geometry allows only the syn-conformation to form a strong 1 : 1 bis-porphyrin complex with the diamino ligand 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) (K11 = 1.25 × 108 M-1), with the anti-conformation adopting a 2 : 2 sandwich complex with DABCO (K22 = 5.57 × 1017 M-3).

Design of oxophilic metalloporphyrins: an experimental and DFT study of methanol binding

Experimental binding constants are matched with computations to identify optimal host–guest systems for ligands with oxygen-containing functional groups.