Crystal structure of a mono-bridged calix[4]arene.

The title compound, 5(2)-[(5-bromo-pent-yl)-oxy]-1(2),1(14),3(5),5(5)-tetra-tert-butyl-1(7),1(8),1(9),1(10)-tetra-hydro-1(6) H,1(16) H-1(4,12)-dibenzo[b,e][1,7]dioxa-cyclo-dodecina-3,5(1,3)-dibenzena-cyclo-hexa-phan-3(2)-ol, C54H73BrO4, was synthesized from the reaction of tert-butyl-calix[4]arene with 1,5-di-bromo-pentane using K2CO3 in CH3CN. The structure consists of a calixarene unit with a five-carbon bridge connecting two proximal phenolic O atoms, and with a bromo-pent-oxy chain on one of the remaining phenolic O atoms. The calixarene unit was found to have a flattened cone conformation with no solvent (or other guest) mol-ecule observed in the cavity. Two of the opposite phenyl rings lean outwards with fold angles of 136.2 (1) and 133.0 (1)° between the rings and the plane of the bridging methyl-ene C atoms, while the other two opposite rings form fold angles of 83.27 (9) and 105.46 (9)°. There is considerable disorder in this mol-ecule. One of the tert-butyl groups is disordered over two conformations with occupancies of 0.527 (5) and 0.473 (5). The bromo-pent-oxy chain is disordered over three configurations with occupancies of 0.418, 0.332 and 0.250. The five-carbon bridge connecting two proximal phenolic O atoms is disordered over two conformations with occupancies of 0.537 (7) and 0.463 (7).

Calixarene-based mol-ecular capsule from olefin metathesis.

The reaction of tetra-kis-(all-yloxy)calix[4]arene with the first-generation Grubbs catalyst, followed by catalytic hydrogenation, gave the novel bis-calixarene 15,20,46,51,64,69,74,79-octa-oxatridecacyclo[32.28.8.8(3,28).1(13,53).1(22,44).0(9,14).0(21,26).0(38,70).0(40,45).0(52,57).0(59,63).0(7,80).0(32,73)]octa-conta-1(63),3,5,7(80),9(14),10,12,21,23,25,28(73),29,31,34,36,38(70),40,42,44,52,54,56,59,61-tetra-cosa-ene benzene monosolvate, C72H72O8·C6H6. The structure consists of two calix[4]arene units connected by four-carbon chains at each of the four O atoms on their narrow rims, to form a cage. Each of the calix[4]arene units has a flattened cone conformation in which two of the opposite aryl groups are closer together and nearly parallel [dihedral angle between planes = 7.35 (16)°], and the other two aryl groups are splayed outward [dihedral angle between planes = 72.20 (8)°]. While the cavity contains no solvent or other guest mol-ecule, there is benzene solvent mol-ecule in the lattice. Two of the alkyl linking arms were disordered over two conformations with occupancies of 0.582 (3)/0.418 (3) and 0.33 (4)/0.467 (4). They were constrained to have similar metrical and thermal parameters.

A bis-calixarene from olefin metathesis.

A ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction of tetra-kis-(all-yl-oxy)calix[4]arene gave the bis- calixarene, (15E,40E,60E)-65,74-bis-(prop-2-en-1-yl-oxy)-13,18,38,43,58,63-hexa-oxado-deca-cyclo-[28.26.8.7(20,36).1(11,45).1(51,55).0(5,57).0(7,12).0(19,24).0(26,64).0(32,37).0(44,49).1(68,72)]tetra-hepta-conta-1,3,5(57),7,9,11,15,19(24),20,22,26,28,30(64),32,34,36,40,44(49),45,47,51,53,55(65),60,68,70,72(74)-hepta-cosa-ene, C(74)H(68)O(8). It is a cage formed from two calix[4]arene units joined by butenyl groups at three of the O atoms on the narrow rim. The fourth O atom on each calixarene unit is joined with an allyl group. Each of the calix[4]arene units has a flattened cone conformation in which the all-yloxy-substituted aryl group and the opposite aryl group are close together and almost parallel [dihedral angle between planes = 1.09 (11)°], and the other two aryl groups are splayed outward [dihedral angle between planes = 79.53 (11)°]. No guest mol-ecule (e.g. solvent) was observed within the cage. The alkene C atoms of one of the links between the calixarene moieties are disordered over two orientations with occupancies of 0.533 (9) and 0.467 (9).