Reasons for the exclusive formation of heterodimeric capsules between tetra-tolyl and tetra-tosylurea calix[4]arenes

The selective heterodimerization of tetra-tolyl (1a) and tetra-tosylurea (1b) 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 t…

Ein Selbstordnungsschema für Tetraharnstoffcalix[4]arene

Grose und Form sind wichtig: Eine aquimolare Mischung aus elf unterschiedlich substituierten Tetraharnstoff-Calix[4]arenen bildet in unpolaren Losungsmitteln nur 6 von 35 moglichen Homo- und Heterodimeren. Da das Calixarengerust und die vier Harnstoffreste in allen Fallen gleich sind, wird dieser Prozess der Selbstorganisation allein durch das Zusammenwirken von sterischen und stochiometrischen Randbedingungen bestimmt.

ChemInform Abstract: Dimerization and Self-Sorting of Tetraurea Calix[4]arenes

Tetraurea Calix[4]arenes

Mechanically interlocked calix[4]arene dimers display reversible bond breakage under force.

The physics of nanoscopic systems is strongly governed by thermal fluctuations that produce significant deviations from the behaviour of large ensembles1,2. Stretching experiments of single molecules offer a unique way to study fundamental theories of statistical mechanics, as recently shown for the unzipping of RNA hairpins3. Here, we report a molecular design based on oligo calix[4]arene catenanes—calixarene dimers held together by 16 hydrogen bridges—in which loops within the molecules limit how far the calixarene nanocapsules can be separated. This mechanically locked structure tunes the energy landscape of dimers, thus permitting the reversible rupture and rejoining of the individual n…

Self-assembled dendrimers with uniform structure

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 …

Fourfold tetraurea calix[4]arenes--potential cores for the formation of self-assembled dendrimers.

Wide rim tetraurea calix[4]arenes monofunctionalized at the narrow rim by COOH or NH2 have been synthesized in five steps from t-butylcalix[4]arene tripropylether. Their covalent linkage via the narrow rim to a central calix[4]arene fixed in the 1,3-alternate conformation led to pentacalix[4]arenes 9 bearing four tetraurea derivatives in the cone conformation in a flexible tetrahedral arrangement. Their self-assembly via the formation of hydrogen bonded dimeric capsules has been studied under different conditions. A fourfold heterodimerisation of tetrakis-tetraurea derivatives of type 9 with tetratosylurea 10 has been confirmed by 1H NMR-spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering.

Stepwise synthesis and selective dimerisation of bis- and trisloop tetra-urea calix[4]arenes.

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 …

First Protection of a Wide-Rim Tetraamino Calix[4]arene in Opposite Positions

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]

Heterodimeric capsules formed by tetratosyl and tetratolyl urea calix[4]arenes

Predictions made by MD simulations for size, shape and guest inclusion of a heterodimer formed by a tetratosyl and a tetratolyl urea calix[4]arene and for its hydrogen bonding system have been entirely confirmed by a single crystal X-ray structure.

Self-Sorting Dimerization of Tetraurea Calix[4]arenes

Calix[4]arenes substituted by four urea functions are self-complementary molecules that spontaneously combine in apolar solvents in the presence of an ammonium salt to form dimeric capsules held together by a belt of hydrogen bonds. In the presence of tetraethylammonium salts, the Et4N+ cation is included as a guest. The sorting between dimeric capsules formed in a mixture of calix[4]arenes directly depends on the steric crowding of the substituents grafted on the urea groups whether aromatic derivatives or aliphatic chains linking urea functions in mono-, di-, or tetraloop structures. Simple rules allow one to anticipate which capsules will be exclusively formed when calix[4]arenes are mix…

Hydrogen bonding in dimers of tritolyl and tritosylurea derivatives of triphenylmethanes.

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.

Solid-state NMR and computational studies of tetratolyl urea calix[4]arene inclusion compounds.

Solid-state guest dynamics of tetratolyl tetraurea calix[4]arene tetrapentylether dimeric capsules filled with different types of aromatic guests such as benzene-d6, fluorobenzene-d5 and 1,4-difluorobenzene were studied. Upon inclusion, all guest moieties revealed complexation-induced shifts varying from 2.8 ppm to 5.1 ppm. All guest molecules were shown to undergo distinct motions, ranging from mere C6-rotations of benzene-d6 to (ill-defined) 180 degrees phenyl flips of fluorobenzene-d5. In all cases, dynamic heterogeneities were identified based on 2H lineshape deconvolution. In addition, by combination of both a computed nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) map and explicit 19F and …

Selective dimerisation of tetraurea calix[4]arenes

The formation of hydrogen-bonded dimeric capsules from tetraurea calix[4]arenes is controlled by loops, connecting adjacent urea functions, and more or less bulky substituents. The dimerisation is only possible if loops are not overlapping and if the respective residues can pass the loops. A sorting scheme based on small and bulky residues and one to four loops allows reducing the number of possible dimers from 35 to 6 in a stoichiometric mixture of 11 ureas. With three different loop sizes (O–(CH2) n –O chains with n = 10, 14, 20 connecting adjacent phenylurea functions via their meta positions), it is possible to distinguish four urea residues of different sizes (small, medium, bulky and …

Enhanced thermodynamic and kinetic stability of calix[4]arene dimers locked in the cone conformation.

Wide rim tetraurea derivatives (2a,b) have been prepared from a calix[4]arene rigidified in the cone conformation by two diethyleneglycol ether bridges between adjacent oxygens. In comparison to the analogous tetraurea derivatives (3a,b) of a tetrapentoxy calix[4]arene, 2a,b show an increased thermodynamic stability in mixtures of CDCl(3) and DMSO-d(6). Their kinetic stability as expressed by the rate of guest exchange (benzene or cyclohexane against the solvent benzene-d(6)) is also strongly increased by factors of 30-38. Noticeable differences for the inclusion of selected guests are found.

Topologically Novel Multiple Rotaxanes and Catenanes Based on Tetraurea Calix[4]arenes

Calix[4]arenes bearing at their wide rim four urea residues easily form hydrogen bonded dimeric capsules. This has been used to preorganise alkenyl functions attached to these urea groups for their controlled connection via metathesis reaction. Multimacrocyclic tetraurea derivatives are thus obtained in excellent yields via heterodimers which are formed exclusively with tetratosylurea derivatives. Heterodimerisation of such bis- and tetraloop tetraureas leads analogously to multicatenanes, or to rotaxanes by stoppering. Huge macrocycles are detached from tetraloop derivatives by cleavage of the urea function.

A Self-Sorting Scheme Based on Tetra-Urea Calix[4]arenes

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.

Self-assembly of programmed building blocks into structurally uniform dendrimers.

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.

Preferred dimerization of tetra-tolyl- and tetra-tosylurea derivatives of flexible and rigidified calix[4]arenes

The dimerization of tetratolyl- and tetratosyl-urea derivatives 1 and 2, derived from a tetrapentoxy calix[4]arene in the cone conformation and of the corresponding tetra-urea derivatives 3 and 4, in which the cone conformation is rigidified by the two crown-3 tethers, have been studied. All six possible equimolar mixtures were examined by 1H NMR using CDCl3 and CD2Cl2 as solvents. While no heterodimers are found for the combinations 1/3 and 2/4 in either solvent, all remaining combinations lead to the (exclusive) formation of heterodimers in CD2Cl2. In CDCl3 heterodimers are only observed for the combinations of 3 with 2 or 4. These results are discussed in terms of entropic and enthalpic …

ChemInform Abstract: Rotaxanes and Catenanes Derived from Tetra-Urea Calix[4]arenes

Fine-Tuning the Dimerization of Tetraureacalix[4]arenes

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-tertbutylphenyl, c = 4-propyloxy-3,5-di-(tert-butylphenyl)phenyl, and d=4-[tris-(4-tert-butylphenyl…

Rotaxanes and Catenanes Derived from Tetra-Urea Calix[4]arenes

Calix[ 4] arenes, substituted by four urea groups at their wide rim, form dimeric capsules in apolar solvents, which are held together by a seam of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The heterodimerisation of tetra-aryl and tetratosyl ureas was used to synthesize various derivatives, in which adjacent urea residues are connected to form two, three or four loops. The aliphatic connections were tied by olefin metathesis between adjacent alkenyl residues followed by hydrogenation. Heterodimers of tetra-alkenyl substituted tetra-ureas and bis- or tetraloop derivatives were converted analogously to multiple catenanes. Tetra[2]rotaxanes were obtained in a similar manner. In addition to the spectrosco…

ChemInform Abstract: Selective Dimerization of Tetraurea Calix[4]arenes