Search results for "artificial receptors"

Selective recognition of neutral guests in an aqueous medium by a biomimetic calix[6]cryptamide receptor

2015

The design of artificial receptors that can efficiently work in water is a challenging research area. A possible biomimetic approach for the elaboration of such receptors consists of associating a hydrophobic cavity with a polar polyfunctional binding site. On this basis, a hydrophilic calix[6]cryptamide decorated with oligo(ethylene glycol) units (i.e. 8) was synthesized through an efficient [1 + 1] macrocyclization reaction as the key-step. The complexation of neutral molecules was evaluated by NMR spectroscopy through competition experiments either in apolar or aqueous media. In both media, host 8 can bind neutral species that display H-bonding acceptor and donor groups such as amides or…