The binding of difunctional neutral guest molecules by novel bis(tripyrrolyl) cryptands

Plenates: Anion-Dependent Self-Assembly of the Pyrrole Cage Encapsulating Silver(I) Clusters

The self-assembly of 2,5-diformylpyrrole, tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, and silver(I) yielded, depending on the size and basicity of the anion, new cascade complexes or plenates, that is, cryptates incorporating Ag_n ⁿ⁺ clusters. The nature of the product was counterion-dependent, and its formation was either driven by cascade anion binding or by argentophilic interactions stabilizing the cluster within the cavity. The reaction of plenates with tetrabutylammonium halides resulted in the protonation-coupled replacement of the Ag₃ ³⁺ with anion(s), yielding cascade cryptates.

Influence of the solvent in the self-assembly and binding properties of [1 + 1] tetra-imine bis-calix[4]pyrrole cages

We report the self-assembly of shape-persistent [1 + 1] tetra-imine cages 1 based on two different tetra-α aryl-extended calix[4]pyrrole scaffolds in chlorinated solvents and in a 9 : 1 CDCl₃ : CD₃CN solvent mixture. We show that the use of a bis-N-oxide 4 (4,4'-dipyridyl-N,N'-dioxide) as template is not mandatory to induce the emergence of the cages but has a positive effect on the reaction yield. We use ¹H NMR spectroscopy to investigate and characterize the binding properties (kinetic and thermodynamic) of the self-assembled tetra-imine cages 1 with pyridine N-oxide derivatives. The cages form kinetically and thermodynamically stable inclusion complexes with the N-oxides. For the bis-N-oxide 4, we observe the exclusive formation of 1 : 1 complexes independently of the solvent used. In contrast, the pyridine-N-oxide 5 (mono-topic guest) produces inclusion complexes displaying solvent dependent stoichiometry. The bis-N-oxide 4 is too short to bridge the gap between the two endohedral polar binding sites of 1 by establishing eight ideal hydrogen bonding interactions. Nevertheless, the bimolecular 4⊂1 complex results as energetically favored compared to the 5₂⊂1 ternary counterpart. The inclusion of the N-oxides, 4 and 5, in the tetra-imine cages 1 is significantly faster in chlorinated solvents (minutes) than in the 9 : 1 CDCl₃ : CD₃CN solvent mixture (hours). We provide an explanation for the similar energy barriers calculated for the formation of the 4⊂1 complex using the two different ternary counterparts 5₂⊂1 and (CD₃CN)₂⊂1 as precursors. We propose a mechanism for the in-out guest exchange processes experienced by the tetra-imine cages 1.

Fluoride ion Coordination-Induced Turn-On Fluorescence of Tailored N-Methyl N-Confused Tripyrromonomethene Analogues

Inorder to achieve striking compromise between flexibility and rigidity, two unprecedented highly air-stable N-methyl N-Confused tripyrromonomethene analogues in near quantitative yields have been synthesized by chloranil oxidation under aerobic condition....

Zinc halide template effects on the construction of [1 + 1] flexible Schiff-base macrocyclic complexes having pendant-armed dialdehyde components

A pair of pendant-armed dialdehydes is used to react with 1,3-propanediamine to prepare six [1 + 1] flexible Schiff-base macrocyclic complexes in the presence of ZnX₂ salts (X = Cl, Br, I), where the template Zn(ii) cations and the auxiliary halide anions are believed to play important roles in forming the resulting macrocyclic Zn(ii) complexes.

Cryptand-like anion receptors

The design of supramolecular hosts for anions began with simple diaza bicycles, named katapinands, and has evolved over the last 40 years to a number of elegantly designed receptors capable of binding many different anions. About the same time the term cryptand appeared in reference to another bicyclic compound that was selective for alkaline-earth ions. Since the first report these simple bicycles, a vast arena of hosts has appeared, including acyclic, monocyclic, and other multicyclic supramolecular receptors. Studies of these systems have revealed considerable information about anion coordination chemistry, including the fact that many of these complexes mimic their transition-metal corollaries in terms of coordination numbers. However, for anions interactions occur via H-bonding most often, rather than the coordinate covalent or dative bonds observed in transition-metal coordination. This critical review examines the design of enclosed, primarily bicyclic cryptands as hosts for anions, with a small scattering of higher polyhedra when deemed appropriate to the discussion. In order to show the development (evolution) of the field, key examples of early work will be noted and compared with more recent developments (136 references).

Anion binding in covalent and self-assembled molecular capsules

This critical review describes selected examples extracted from the extensive literature generated during the past 42 years on the topic of anion binding in molecular capsules. The goal of including anions in molecular capsules emerges from the idea of incorporating the traits exhibited by biological receptors into synthetic ones. At the outset of this research area the capsules were unimolecular. The scaffold of the receptor was designed to covalently link a series of functional groups that could converge into a cavity and to avoid its collapse. The initial examples involved the encapsulation of one monoatomic spherical anion. With time, the cavity size of the receptor was increased and encapsulation of polyatomic anions and co-encapsulation became a reality. Synthetic economy fueled the use of aggregates of self-complementary molecules rather than one large molecule as capsules. The main purpose of this review is to give a general overview of the topic which might be of interest to supramolecular or non supramolecular chemists alike (149 references).

Anion-Binding Properties of the Tripyrrolemethane Group: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

Tripyrrolemethane- and bistripyrrolemethane-containing systems were recently reported to be efficient and selective hosts for anions. Nevertheless, the basic intrinsic properties of tripyrrolemethane as a ligand for anions have not yet been explored. Here we report the study of the anion-binding properties of the tripyrrolemethane group. We applied a combined experimental and theoretical approach to determine the affinity of the tripyrrolemethane system for different anions in the gas phase, in solution and in the crystalline state. In the crystal, the tripyrrolemethane group forms a number of different complexes with the bromide ion, some involving the participation of more than one ligand species. Despite the very similar basicity of fluoride and dihydrogen phosphate, the tripyrrolemethane ligand exhibits a clear preference for the fluoride anion in solution, which indicates an anion-binding system and not merely deprotonation. Although the affinity of the tripyrrolemethane ligand for other ions was negligible in solution, gas-phase studies show that complexation with larger halide ions is favoured over complexation with fluoride.