Molecular motions within self-assembled dimeric capsules with tetraethylammonium cations as guest.

Hydrogen-bonded, dimeric capsules of calix[4]arenes substituted at the wide rim by four urea functions show unprecedented dynamic features when a tetraethylammonium cation is included as a guest. The seam of hydrogen bonds C=O...(HN)2C=O in the equatorial region which holds the two calixarene counterparts together changes its directionality fast (at 25 degrees C), while the dimer itself is kinetically stable on the NMR time scale. An energy barrier of deltaG++ = 49.9 kJmol(-1) (Tc 276 K) was estimated for this reorientation from variable-temperature (VT) NMR measurements. Lowering the temperature to about -50 degrees C restricts also the rotation of the encapsulated tetraethylammonium cation around a pseudo C2-symmetry axis in the equatorial plane of the capsule, while its rotation around the C4 axis is still fast. As a result of this restriction two ethyl groups of the tetraethylammonium cation point towards the "poles" of the capsule, while the other pair lies in the "equator" region. Variable-temperature 1H NMR experiments led to a barrier of deltaG++=54.8kJ mol(-1) (Tc 306 K) for the exchange of these different ethyl groups. Studies with the ternary complex formed by a C2v-symmetrical tetraurea proved that both processes, reorientation of the hydrogen bonds and rotation of the guest, take place independently. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the capsule is strongly expanded by the larger tetraethylammonium cation in comparison with benzene as guest. Thus, on average only one N-H...O hydrogen bond is formed per urea function and the interaction energy between the two tetraurea calixarenes is less favorable by about 15 kcal mol(-1). This is overcompensated by an energy gain of about 36 kcal mol(-1) due to cation-pi interactions. These results provide a rationale to understand the high stability of the complex inspite of the mobility of the hydrogen-bonded belt.

Resorcarenes in the boat conformation as building blocks for hydrogen-bonded assemblies including two ammonium cations.

Crystal structures are reported for various co-crystals of rccc-resorcarenes with triethylammonium chloride. Usually, two molecules of a C2v-symmetric tetraester 2 in the boat conformation are linked through four hydrogen-bonded chloride anions to give dimeric assemblies. Two of the chloride anions may be replaced by four hydrogen-bonded ethanol molecules in an otherwise similar structure. These assemblies, which consist of six or eight components, posses voluminous, negatively charged chambers in which two triethylammionium cations, 3+, are included as guests by strong electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The host-guest N-H...Cl hydrogen bonds were clearly detected at 173 K. These are the first examples of hydrogen-bonded, solid-state capsules trapping two ions of the same charge in close proximity. In the 1:2 complex with 3+ Cl-, the molecule of the parent resorcarene 1 also adopts a boat conformation whose cavity is considerably extended by four hydrogen-bonded chloride anions. The pocket formed in this way again includes two 3+ ions as a result of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding host-guest interactions. All these structures show that the boat conformers of resorcarenes can be used as a novel motif for the construction of hydrogen-bonded assemblies capable of molecular inclusion and encapsulation.

Spirodienone derivatives of a spherand-type calixarene.

Oxidation of the spherand-type calixarene 4 with 1 or 2 equiv of phenyltrimethylammonium tribromide/base afforded mono- and bis(spirodienone) derivatives (8b and 9, respectively). The spirodienone groups are derived from the oxidation of two phenols connected by a common methylene group. NOESY data indicated that 9 possesses a "head to tail" arrangement of the spirodienone groups. Oxidation of 4 with 3 equiv of the oxidizing reagent afforded two tris(spirodienone) calixarene derivatives 11 and 10 with C(1) and C(3) symmetries, respectively. The same tris(spirodienone) products were obtained by oxidation of 9 with I(2)/aq KOH. Tris(spirodienone) 11 displayed NOE cross-peaks in the NOESY NMR spectrum consistent with a nonalternant disposition of carbonyl and ether groups. Upon heating 10 and 11 isomerize in the solid state and in solution. The major component in the equilibration mixtures is 11, indicating that this is the thermodynamically more stable tris(spirodienone) isomer.

Stereochemistry of a spherand-type calixarene.

The stereochemistry of the spherand-type calixarene 2a is analyzed in terms of the configuration of the three 2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl subunits (R or S) and the disposition of the methylene groups (crown or twist). X-ray crystallography indicates that the neutral 2a and its mono- or dianion (in form of the salts 2a(-) x C(5)H(5)NH(+) and 2a(2)(-) x 2Et(3)NH(+)) exist essentially in the same conformation (RRS/SSR-twist). This asymmetric RRS/SSR-twist form is the lowest energy conformer according to molecular mechanics calculations. Low-temperature (1)H NMR data indicate the presence of a major conformer of C(1) symmetry, in agreement with a RRS/SSR-twist form. The lowest energy topomerization pathway mutually exchanges two pairs of methylene protons and is ascribed to an enantiomerization process involving rotation around an Ar-Ar bond.

Hydrogen bonded calixarene capsules kinetically stable in DMSO.

Half-life times up to 4 days in DMSO at room temperature are observed for the decomposition of dimeric capsules of urea substituted calix[4]arenes held together by a combination of hydrogen bonds, mechanical entanglement and cation-pi interactions.

Guest-enhanced kinetic stability of hydrogen-bonded dimeric capsules of tetraurea Calix

Inclusion complexes of self-assembled molecular dimers composed of two tetratolylurea calix[4]arenes show strongly different kinetic stability for different guests. In cyclohexane-d(12), half-life times for the exchange of a guest against the solvent vary from 2.9 h (chloroform) through 20 h (benzene) and 74 h (fluorobenzene) to 78 days for cyclohexane. This demonstrates that the kinetic stability of such a dimer can be strongly increased by the choice of a suitable guest.

Rigidified calixarenes bearing four carbamoylmethylphosphineoxide or carbamoylmethylphosphoryl functions at the wide rim

Conformationally rigidified tetraCMPO derivatives have been prepared from calix[4]arene bis(crown ether) 4a in which adjacent oxygens are bridged at the narrow rim by two diethylene glycol links. Acylation of the tetraamine 4c with the CMPO-active ester 5b gave the tetraphosphine oxide 6a, while the tetraphosphinate 6b and the tetraphosphonate 6c were obtained by Arbuzov reaction of tetrabromoacetamido derivative 7 with PhP(OEt)2 or P(OEt)3. The extraction ability of these CMPO derivatives was checked for selected lanthanides and actinides and compared with the analogous compounds 1b, 10b and 10d derived from calix[4]arene tetrapentyl ether. All rigidified bis(crown ether) ligands are more effective extractants than their pentyl ether counterparts and require only 1/10 of the concentration (cL= 10 4M) to obtain the same distribution coefficients, while with CMPO itself a 2,000-fold concentration is necessary. This could be a consequence of a better preorganisation of the ligating functions owing to the rigidity which on the other hand did not change the observed selectivity for americium (DAm/DEu=9-19) and for light lanthanides over heavy ones. NMR relaxivity titration curves show that the complex of Gd3+ with ligand 6a is highly oligomerised in anhydrous acetonitrile over a large range of ligand:metal concentration ratios. Nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles also showed that large oligomers were formed, and their mean tumbling times were deduced from the Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan equations. The NMR spectra of dia- and paramagnetic lanthanide complexes with 6a agreed with the presence of two conformers with an elongated calix[4]arene skeleton in which the distances between opposite methylene groups are different. Contrary to what was observed with ligand 2a, the addition of nitrate ions does not labilize the metal complexes, presumably because of the rigidification effect of the ether bridges. Single-crystal X-ray structures were obtained for the active ester 5b and for diphenylphosphorylacetic acid 5a.

Calix Crowns Derived from para-Bridged Calix

Two calix[4]arenes, bridged by aliphatic chains of five and eight carbon atoms spanning two opposite para positions, have been converted into their 1,3-crown ether derivatives by reaction with tetraethylene and pentaethylene glycol ditosylates. Of the two possible 1,3-crown derivatives, only the formation of those isomers is observed in which the phenolic units connected at the para positions are etherified. This has been established in one case by a single-crystal X-ray analysis. Preliminary results for the extraction of selected alkali and alkaline-earth metals are reported.

Calix[4]arenes as selective extracting agents. An NMR dynamic and conformational investigation of the lanthanide(III) and thorium(IV) complexes.

The lanthanide and Th4+ complexes with calix[4]arene ligands substituted either on the narrow or at the wide rim by four coordinating groups behave totally differently as shown by an NMR investigation of the dia- and paramagnetic complexes. Solutions of complexes were prepared by reacting anhydrous metal perchlorate salts with the ligands in dry acetonitrile (CAUTION). Relaxation time T1 titrations of acetonitrile solutions of Gd3+ by calixarenes indicate that ligands subsituted on the narrow rim form stable 1:1 complexes whether they feature four amide groups (1) or four phosphine oxide functions. In contrast, a ligand substituted by four (carbamoylmethyl)-diphenylphosphine oxide moieties on the wide rim (3) and its derivatives from polymeric species even at a 1:1 ligand/metal concentration ratio. Nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) curves (relaxation rates 1/T1 vs magnetic field strength) of Gd3+, Gd3+.1 and Gd3+.3 perchlorates in acetonitrile are analyzed by an extended version of the Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan equations. A comparison of the calculated rotational correlation times tau r shows that ligand 3 forms oligomeric Gd3+ species. The chelates of ligand 1 are axially symmetric (C4 symmetry), and the paramagnetic shifts induced by the Yb3+ ion are accounted for quantitatively. The addition of water or of nitrate ions does not modify the geometry of the complex. The metal chelates of 3 and its derivatives adopt a C2 symmetry, and the paramagnetic shifts are interpreted on a semiquantitative basis only. Water and NO3- ions completely labilize the complexes of the heavy lanthanides. The very high selectivity of ligand 3 through the lanthanide series stems from a complex interplay of factors.

Guest-Controlled Formation of a Hydrogen-Bonded Molecular Capsule.

The dimerization of the self-complementary resorcarene tetraesters is triggered by the entrapment of a tropylium cation in the pi-basic cavity. Eight intermolecular OH small middle dot small middle dot small middle dotOC hydrogen bonds together with host-guest interactions such as charge transfer and C-H small middle dot small middle dot small middle dotpi bonding are responsible for the high stability of this assembly (see picture). Hereby neither the host-guest interaction nor the interaction of two resorcarene molecules through hydrogen bonds is sufficient by itself to form the complex.

Discontinuous electrokinetic chromatography of parabens using different substituted resonances as pseudostationary phases.

Resorcarene derivatives, negatively charged even at moderate pH, were synthesized and employed as pseudostationary phases to achieve mobilities exceeding that of the electroosmotic flow. Under these conditions, a discontinuous electrolyte system was developed which allows the separation of four uncharged homologous 4-hydroxybenzoic esters (parabens) within a zone of resorcarene electrolyte, and the detection of these UV active compounds in a resorcarene-free zone, free from the high UV background absorbance of the resorcarenes. Resorcarenes, with differently charged functionalities (carboxylate and phosphate groups) to provide the electrophoretic mobility and with alkyl residues of different chain lengths responsible for the chromatographic interactions with the analytes, were tested and compared in terms of mobility and selectivity. Only the resorcarene phosphates exhibited sufficient mobilities at low pH exceeding the mobility of the electroosmotic flow (EOF). Retention factors of the parabens were found to increase with increasing chain length of the alkyl residues attached to the resorcarene. However, maximum selectivity was observed for an intermediate chain length (C8). An equation for the calculation of retention factors in discontinuous electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) is presented.