RESUMEN

Thiacalix[4]arene 2, calix[4]arene 3a and its tetraether fixed in the cone conformation 3b form homo- and heterodimeric capsules in apolar solvents, which are held together by a seam of NH...O=P hydrogen bonds between carbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide functions attached to their wide rim. Their internal volume of approximately 370 A(3) requires the inclusion of a suitable guest. Although neutral molecules such as adamantane (derivatives) or tetraethylammonium cations form kinetically stable complexes ((1)H- and (31)P-time scale), the included solvent is rapidly exchanged. The internal mobility of the included tetraethylammonium cation is distinctly higher (DeltaG=42.5 and 49.7 kJ mol(-1) for 3a and 3b) than that for similar capsules of tetraurea calix[4]arenes 1. Mixtures of 1 with 2, 3a, or 3b contain only the two homodimers but the heterodimerization occurs with the tetraloop tetraurea 6, which cannot form homodimers. Two dimers with cationic guests (2.(C(5)H(5))(2)Co(+).2 and 3a.Et(3)NH(+).H(2)O.3a) were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

RESUMEN

Calix[4]arenes substituted by four urea residues at their wide rim form hydrogen-bonded homo- and heterodimeric capsules in apolar solvents. If urea groups are covalently connected to loops or substituted by bulky residues, the dimerization may be restricted to those pairs in which the loops do not overlap and for which the residues are small enough to pass the loops. In the present study, we describe the dimerization properties of tetraureas with one, two (adjacent or opposite), three, or four loops and those bearing (additionally) up to four residues of different size: a = tolyl, b = 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl, c = 4-propyloxy-3,5-di-(tert-butylphenyl)phenyl, and d = 4-[tris-(4-tert-butylphenyl)methyl]phenyl. For compounds with four loops of different size (-O-(CH2 )n-O-chains with n=10, 14, and 20 connecting the m-positions of the urea phenyl residues) a clear "stepwise" sorting scheme could be established, in which the bulkiest residue d is excluded by all tetraloop compounds and the smallest residue a can pass only the smallest loops (n=10). The medium-sized residues b or c are tolerated by n=14 and 20 or only by n=20. Selectivities can be built up also on geometrical factors. A trisloop compound, for instance, combines only with a tetraurea bearing a single bulky residue and tetraureas with two bulky substituents in adjacent or opposite position are distinguished by the bisloop derivatives with adjacent or opposite loops. The impossibility to form a homodimer of a monoloop compound containing two bulky residues leads to its selective heterodimerization with a derivative bearing three bulky groups. Subtle effects for "borderline" cases, in which the dimerization or reorganization takes a longer time, are also discussed.

RESUMEN

Size and shape do matter: When dimerized in nonpolar solvents, an equimolar mixture of eleven tetra-urea calix[4]arenes with different wide-rim substituents self-sorts into only six out of 35 different homo- and heterodimers (see picture). Since the calixarene scaffold and the four urea units are the same in all cases, the self-sorting process is driven only by the cooperative action of steric requirements and stoichiometry.

RESUMEN

Calix[4]arenes substituted at their wide rim by four aryl urea residues (1) form hydrogen-bonded dimers in apolar solvents. Replacement of one urea residue by an acetamido moiety leads to calix[4]arene derivatives (5) which form hydrogen-bonded tetramers under the same conditions. Both self-assembly processes occur independently. Therefore, molecules have been prepared in which a tetra-urea calix[4]arene and a tri-urea mono acetamide derivative are covalently connected between their narrow rims by a long, mainly aliphatic chain [-O-(CH(2))(n)-C(O)-NH-(CH(2))(m)-O-] (7). In the presence of an equimolar amount of tetra-tosyl urea calix[4]arene () they form dendritic assemblies since the well known heterodimerization of tetra-tosyl and tetra-aryl urea calix[4]arenes prevents the formation of a cross-linked structure. Covalent connection of adjacent urea residues leads to tetra-loop derivatives (3) that cannot form homodimers, but instead form heterodimers with tetra-aryl or tetra-tosylureas. Therefore, similar dendrimers should be available using the selective dimerization observed for 3. The formation of a single, structurally uniform dendrimer from eight building blocks is confirmed by (1)H NMR spectra, showing only peaks that are also found for respective model assemblies. Translational diffusion coefficients of the assemblies have been determined using (1)H DOSY NMR.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Tetra-urea calix[4]arenes substituted with four mono- or bisalkenyl residues have been converted into bis- or tetraloop compounds by intramolecular olefin metathesis, with use of a tetratosylurea calix[4]arene as template. The same strategy has now been used to synthesise trisloop compounds and bisloop compounds with adjacent loops, completing the series of the loop-containing tetra-urea derivatives. A tetra-urea calix[4]arene of the AABB type, where A stands for a bisalkenyl- and B for a monoalkenyl-substituted urea unit, was used as precursor for the three loops. It was easily synthesised from a tetraamino calix[4]arene in which two adjacent amino groups were Boc-protected. The ABCB-type precursor for the two adjacent loops was prepared through protection of two opposite amino functions with trityl groups. The capabilities of the novel macrocyclic tetra-ureas for the selective formation of hydrogen-bonded dimers were studied.

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RESUMEN

The selective heterodimerization of tetra-tolyl () and tetra-tosylurea () calixarenes, serendipitously found by Rebek et al. (R. K. Castellano, B. H. Kim and J. Rebek, Jr., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1997, 119, 12671-12672), has been used for the construction of highly sophisticated macrocycles and well-defined supramolecular assemblies. Regrettably, hitherto, neither the exact structure of these heterodimers nor the reason for their exclusive formation is known. We present molecular dynamics simulations using the AMBER force field in explicit chloroform solvent for the two homodimers, the heterodimer and the two uncomplexed tetra-urea calixarenes. The rigid rotation about the C-S-N-C bond of the tosylurea group has been calculated for a model compound (N-mesylformamide) at the RHF/6-31G* level of theory. The calculations suggest that the heterodimer . is energetically favored over the homodimers by a sterically relaxed conformation of the tosylurea hemisphere in ., by a moderate degree of reorganization of the hemispheres from the uncomplexed to the complexed state and by favorable interactions between the hemispheres. The tosylurea S=O groups are involved in the hydrogen bonding system which results in different sizes of the three capsules in increasing order . < . < .. To prove the computational predictions, 1H NMR experiments have been carried out with solvents/guests differing in shape and size. The largest capsule . prefers the larger guests toluene and p-xylene while the latter is not encapsulated in the smallest capsule ..

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

[structure: see text]. Whereas tetra-urea derivatives of tetra-alkoxy calix[4]arenes 1 exist as single molecules in THF, dimeric hydrogen-bonded capsules are exclusively found for the corresponding calix[4]arene derivatives 3 and 2 with two or four free hydroxyl groups. Comparison with the rigidified tetra-urea 5 suggests that this increased stability of the dimers is due to the stabilization of their four-fold symmetry by intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the phenolic hydroxyl groups.

RESUMEN

The importance of tetraamino calix[4]arenes as starting materials is distinctly increased by the first versatile protective group for opposite amino functions. Reaction with trityl chloride leads to the 1,3-dialkylated derivative easily isolated in 34% yield; after a first acylation of the remaining amino groups, the trityl residues can be removed by TFA to introduce a second acyl group. [reaction: see text]

RESUMEN

The crystal structure of the homodimer formed by the tritolylurea 3a proves the existence of a belt of six bifurcated hydrogen bonds between both NH and the O=C groups of the adjacent urea residues. For the tritosylurea 3b, four additional three-center hydrogen bonds, also involving the SO2 oxygen, are found in the crystalline state. Molecular dynamics simulations in a chloroform box confirm these patterns of the hydrogen bonds and the resulting elongation of the dimer 3b. 3b in comparison to 3a x 3a. The calculated complexation energies for the three dimeric combinations are nearly identical in agreement with the simultaneous formation of heterodimer 3a x 3b in a mixture of 3a and 3b.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Selective and independent dimerization of tri- and tetraurea derivatives was used to build up dendritic assemblies which are uniform in size and structure. Dendrimers with the total molecular masses of about 25 000 g/mol were obtained. The existence of uniform assemblies was proved by 1H and 1H DOSY NMR experiments and also by dynamic light scattering.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Two different strategies were used to synthesize tri(2-alkoxy-5-nitrophenyl)methanes 6a,b. The X-ray structures of 6a and its precursor 5 show the molecules in a conformation with a syn-orientation of the nitro and alkoxy groups. Hydrogenation and acylation by the appropriate active ester gave the corresponding tri-CMPO derivatives 4a,b. Their ability to complex lanthanide ions was studied by NMR spectroscopy and by nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion and further characterized by quantum mechanical calculations. Extraction experiments from acidic solution to dichloromethane reveal a reasonable selectivity of Am(III) over Eu(III), but in contrast to similar tetra-CMPOs derivatives of calix[4]arenes the distribution coefficients strongly decrease with increasing concentration of HNO(3).

RESUMEN

Tri-(2-alkoxy-5-ureido-phenyl)methanes represent a novel self-complementary motif forming hydrogen bonded homo- and heterodimers in nonpolar, aprotic solvents as evidenced by 1H NMR and ESI-mass spectra and by the formation of heterodimers. MD simulations suggest the formation of hydrogen bonds of different strength in agreement with NMR data. The dimerization does not interfere with that of tetraurea calix[4]arenes. A combination of both motifs may be used therefore to build up larger structures via self-assembly processes. [structure: see text]

RESUMEN

Persistent phosphinyl radicals featuring the 2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl group were prepared and characterized. Their electronic structure was theoretically investigated, and their low-temperature dimerization into the corresponding diphosphines was found to be strongly inhibited when the sterically very demanding (tert-butyl)(trimethylsilyl)amino substituent was used.