Specific Noncovalent Association of Truncated exo-Functionalized Triangular Homochiral Isotrianglimines through Head-to-Head, Tail-to-Tail, and Honeycomb Supramolecular Motifs.

Chiral isotrianglimines were synthesized by the [3 + 3] cyclocondensation of (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with C5-substituted isophthalaldehyde derivatives. The substituent's steric and electronic demands and the guest molecules' nature have affected the conformation of individual macrocycles and their propensity to form supramolecular architectures. In the crystal, the formation of a honeycomb-like packing arrangement of the simplest isotrianglimine was promoted by the presence of toluene or para-xylene molecules. A less symmetrical solvent molecule might force this arrangement to change. Polar substituents present in the macrocycle skeleton have enforced the self-association of isotrianglimines in the form of tail-to-tail dimers. These dimers could be further arranged in higher-order structures of the head-to-head type, which were held together by the solvent molecules. Non-associating isotrianglimine formed a container that accommodated acetonitrile molecules in its cavity. The calculated dimerization energies have indicated a strong preference for the formation of tail-to-tail dimers over those of the capsule type.

Specific Noncovalent Association of Chiral Large-Ring Hexaimines: Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and PM7 Study.

Ion mobility mass spectrometry and PM7 semiempirical calculations are effective complementary methods to study gas phase formation of noncovalent complexes from vaselike macrocycles. The specific association of large-ring chiral hexaimines, derived from enantiomerically pure trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and various isophthaldehydes, is driven mostly by CH-π and π-π stacking interactions. The isotrianglimine macrocycles are prone to form two types of aggregates: tail-to-tail and head-to-head (capsule) dimers. The stability of the tail-to-tail dimers is affected by the size and electronic properties of the substituents at the C-5 position of the aromatic ring. Electron-withdrawing groups stabilize the aggregate, whereas bulky or electron-donating groups destabilize the complexes.

Anion-π catalysis.

The introduction of new noncovalent interactions to build functional systems is of fundamental importance. We here report experimental and theoretical evidence that anion-π interactions can contribute to catalysis. The Kemp elimination is used as a classical tool to discover conceptually innovative catalysts for reactions with anionic transition states. For anion-π catalysis, a carboxylate base and a solubilizer are covalently attached to the π-acidic surface of naphthalenediimides. On these π-acidic surfaces, transition-state stabilizations up to ΔΔGTS = 31.8 ± 0.4 kJ mol(-1) are found. This value corresponds to a transition-state recognition of KTS = 2.7 ± 0.5 µM and a catalytic proficiency of 3.8 × 10(5) M(-1). Significantly increasing transition-state stabilization with increasing π-acidity of the catalyst, observed for two separate series, demonstrates the existence of "anion-π catalysis." In sharp contrast, increasing π-acidity of the best naphthalenediimide catalysts does not influence the more than 12 000-times weaker substrate recognition (KM = 34.5 ± 1.6 µM). Together with the disappearance of Michaelis-Menten kinetics on the expanded π-surfaces of perylenediimides, this finding supports that contributions from π-π interactions are not very important for anion-π catalysis. The linker between the π-acidic surface and the carboxylate base strongly influences activity. Insufficient length and flexibility cause incompatibility with saturation kinetics. Moreover, preorganizing linkers do not improve catalysis much, suggesting that the ideal positioning of the carboxylate base on the π-acidic surface is achieved by intramolecular anion-π interactions rather than by an optimized structure of the linker. Computational simulations are in excellent agreement with experimental results. They confirm, inter alia, that the stabilization of the anionic transition states (but not the neutral ground states) increases with the π-acidity of the catalysts, i.e., the existence of anion-π catalysis. Preliminary results on the general significance of anion-π catalysis beyond the Kemp elimination are briefly discussed.

Asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketones catalyzed by complexes formed from trans-diaminocyclohexane-based diamines and diethylzinc.

ABSTRACT: Chiral acyclic and macrocyclic amines derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane in complexes with diethylzinc efficiently catalyze asymmetric hydrosilylation of aryl-alkyl and aryl-aryl ketones with enantiomeric excess of the product up to 86 %. A trianglamine ligand with a cyclic structure or the presence of an additional coordinating group increases the enantioselectivity of the reaction, in comparison with catalysis by a simple acyclic N,N'-dibenzyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane ligand. In addition, the effect of the asymmetric activation of the catalyst by a variety of alcohols and diols is studied.

Convenient, enantioselective hydrosilylation of imines in protic media catalyzed by a Zn-trianglamine complex.

Chiral hexamine macrocycle derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH) in a complex with diethylzinc efficiently catalyzes the asymmetric hydrosilylation of N-phosphorylated aryl-alkyl or aryl-aryl ketimines in protic media with enantiomeric excess of the product approaching 100%. The cyclic structure of the trianglamine ligand increases the enantioselectivity and/or the yield of the reaction, in comparison to the catalysis by acyclic N,N'-dibenzyl-DACH ligands. Density functional theory (DFT) computations on the structure of the model ligand-zinc complex and on the structures of the pre-organized reactants together with the calculations of possible transition states allow rationalization of the direction of the asymmetric induction of the hydrosilylation reaction. This is the first example of asymmetric catalysis of the hydrosilylation reaction of ketimines with the use of a readily available and inexpensive macrocyclic trianglamine ligand.

Discrimination of enantiomers of alpha-amino acids by chiral derivatizing reagents from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane.

New chiral derivatizing reagents (CDAs) derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, having an electron-deficient aromatic substituent (either an aromatic imide or 3,5-dinitrobenzamide) and rigid structure (either an amide or a urea linker), are reported. Significant shift differences of diastereotopic protons in the 1H NMR signals are observed for enantiomers of suitably protected alpha-amino acids, linked to CDA by a covalent bond. A simple, general model rationalizing the observed enantiomer discrimination and based on semiempirical conformational search is presented.