Almost enclosed buckyball joints: synthesis, complex formation, and computational simulations of pentypticene-extended tribenzotriquinacene.

We report the synthesis of a tribenzotriquinacene-based (TBTQ) receptor (3) for C60 fullerene, which is extended by pentiptycene moieties to provide an almost enclosed concave ball bearing. The system serves as a model for a self-assembling molecular rotor with a flexible and adapting stator. Unexpectedly, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigations reveal a surprisingly low complex stability constant of K1 =213±37 M(-1) for [C60 ⊂3], seemingly inconsistent with the previously reported TBTQ systems. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been conducted for three different [C60 ⊂TBTQ] complexes to resolve this. Because of the dominating dispersive interactions, the binding energies increase with the contact area between guest and host, however, only for rigid host structures. By means of free-energy calculations with an explicit solvent model it can be shown that the novel flexible TBTQ receptor 3 binds weakly because of hampering entropic contributions.

Advanced buckyball joints: synthesis, complex formation and computational simulations of centrohexaindane-extended tribenzotriquinacene receptors for C60 fullerene.

The synthesis of a structurally optimized tribenzotriquinacene receptor 9 is described, which is extended by centrohexaindane moieties to give rise to a half-round concave ball bearing, with optimum shape complementarity towards C(60) fullerene. Spectroscopic investigations reveal that this novel host forms a 1 : 1 host-guest complex with C(60) with a complex stability constant of K(1) = 14,550 ± 867 M(-1), which is considerably higher than those reported for structurally related tribenzotriquinacene hosts reported previously. Both the suppression for binding of a second receptor (i.e. formation of a 2 : 1 host-guest complex) as well as the increase of complex stability of the 1 : 1 complex can be rationalized in terms of multiple additive van der Waals and π-π interactions between C(60) and the aromatic groups of the receptor, as revealed by DFT + D and force-field calculations. Combining results from spectroscopic and theoretical investigations leads to predictions in light of future receptor designs, which--apart from shape complementarity--will have to consider an optimized electronic match (i.e. partial charge transfer) between the receptor and the fullerene host.

Nanosized ball joints constructed from C60 and tribenzotriquinacene sockets: synthesis, component self-assembly and structural investigations.

The formation of supramolecular host-guest complexes of fullerene (C(60)) and two novel tribenzotriquinacene based hosts (5 a and 5 b) was investigated in solution and in the solid state. Stability constants for 1:1 and 2:1 complexes were obtained from spectroscopic (UV/Vis, (1)H NMR) titration experiments. Association constants of K(1)=(2908+/-360) L mol(-1) and K(2)=(2076+/-300) L mol(-1) for C(60)/5 a, and K(1)=(5608+/-220) L mol(-1) and K(2)=(673+/-160) L mol(-1) for C(60)/5 b were obtained. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis of compound C(60) subset5 b3 toluene revealed that a molecule of C(60) was located at short van der Waals contact distances in the open pre-organised cavity of the rigid host. The supramolecular complex created resembles an engineered nanosized ball joint and represents the first member for a future nanomechanics construction kit.