Pillar[5]arene-Diketopyrrolopyrrole Fluorescent Copolymer: A Promising Recognition and Adsorption Material for Adiponitrile by Selective Formation of a Conjugated Polypseudorotaxane.

Conjugated pillar[5]arene-diketopyrrolopyrrole copolymer (P1) is synthesized by the copolymerization of a difunctionalized pillar[5]arene and a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based monomer, which shows large extinction coefficients (1.1 × 104 m-1 cm-1 ) at 519 nm and strong emission at 587 nm. P1 exhibits very strong host-guest binding affinity towards adiponitrile but low binding affinity towards 1,4-dihalobutane and 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)butane. Such an enhanced selectivity is first found in the polypseudorotaxane between pillararene and neutral guests in organic solution and is successfully used for the recognition and adsorption of adiponitrile by the formation of a P1-adiponitrile polypseudorotaxane.

Optical switches with biplanemers obtained by intramolecular photocycloaddition reactions of tethered arenes.

The dimerization of anthracene by a [4π + 4π] cycloaddition is one of the oldest and best known reactions in photochemistry. In the series of tethered bichromophoric arenes, this reaction type could be extended to anthracene-naphthalene, naphthalene-naphthalene and recently even to anthracene-benzene and naphthalene-benzene systems. Cyclophanes, which can be regarded as twofold or multiple tethered systems, are not discussed here. The cycloisomerizations are performed by irradiation at the long-wavelength absorption (λ > 270 nm), whereas shorter wavelengths (λ < 270 nm) lead to cycloreversions, which can be also achieved by a thermal route. The systems represent therefore a P- and T-type photochromism, which can be used for optical or chiroptical switches. An acceleration of the switch is possible by a singlet energy transfer (light harvesting antenna effect) in dendritic compounds. In the past 5 to 10 years many applications of these switches were studied in the context of photonic devices, sensor techniques, lithographic processes, imaging techniques, data processing and data storage.

Monoester copillar[5]arenes: synthesis, unusual self-inclusion behavior, and molecular recognition.

The self-inclusion behavior of monoester copillar[5]arenes depends on the position of the ester group, which causes different guest selectivities. Monoester copillar[5]arenes bearing an acetate chain can form stable self-inclusion complexes in low- and high-concentration solution and exhibit high guest selectivity. However, a monoester copillar[5]arene bearing a butyrate chain can not form a self-inclusion complex and exhibits low guest selectivity. Thus, a new class of stable self-inclusion complexes of copillar[5]arenes was explored to improve the selectivity of molecular recognition.

Unambiguous structure elucidation of heterocyclic products from condensation-cyclisation reactions of enaminones by 2D INADEQUATE and 15N NMR.

The reaction of enaminones with 3-amino-2-cyanopent-2-enedinitrile can lead to an array of 12 possible products, depending on the reaction pathway and tautomerization. The use of 2D INADEQUATE and (15)N NMR for the unambiguous structure elucidation of the reaction products is discussed in this manuscript.

Dimerization control in the self-assembly behavior of copillar[5]arenes bearing ω-hydroxyalkoxy groups.

Two novel copillar[5]arenes bearing ω-hydroxyalkoxy groups are synthesized and their self-assembly properties are studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, specific viscosity, and X-ray measurements. The copillar[5]arene 2b bearing a 6-hydroxyhexyloxy group exhibits a reversible self-assembly behavior, leading to the formation of the self-inclusion monomer and hugging dimers. The reversible self-assembly behavior can be controlled by tuning solvent, temperature, guest, and H-bond interaction. However, the copillar[5]arene 2a bearing a short 4-hydroxybutyloxy group does not show such a self-assembly behavior to the formation of the self-inclusion monomer and hugging dimers.

Benzoxetes and benzothietes--heterocyclic analogues of benzocyclobutene.

Benzo-condensed four-ring heterocycles, such as benzoxetes 1 and benzothietes 3 represent multi-purpose starting compounds for the preparation of various higher heterocyclic ring systems. The thermal or photochemical valence isomerizations between the benzenoid forms 1,3 and the higher reactive o-quinoid structures 2,4 provide the basis for the synthetic applications. On the other hand, this valence isomerization impedes in particular the generation and storage of 1 because the thermal equilibrium 1<=> 2 is completely on the side of 2. Thus, the number of erroneous or questionable benzoxete structures published to date is surprisingly high. On the contrary, the thermal equilibrium 3<=> 4 is on the side of the benzothietes 3, which makes them easily accessible, especially by different flash vacuum pyrolysis techniques. The present article gives a survey of the preparations of 1 and 2, and tries to stimulate their use in synthetic projects. Naphtho-condensed and higher condensed compounds and compounds with an exocyclic C=O or S=O double bond (lactones, thiolactones, sulfoxides and sulfones) are not covered in this article.

Unexpected behavior of enaminones: interesting new routes to 1,6-naphthyridines, 2-oxopyrrolidines and pyrano[4,3,2-de][1,6]naphthyridines.

Reaction of enaminones 1a-d with 2-aminoprop-1-ene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile (2) in the presence of AcOH/NH4OAc afforded 7-amino-5-oxo-5,6-dihydro-1,6-naphthyridine-8-carbonitrile derivatives 9a-d. On the other hand, 2-aminopyrano[4,3,2-de] [1,6]naphthyridine-3-carbonitriles 20a-c,e were the only obtained products from the reactions of 1a-d with 2 in the presence of AcOH/NaOAc, while 1d afforded [3,5-bis-(4-chloro-benzoyl)-phenyl]-(4-chloro-phenyl)-methanone 21 under the same condition. The reaction of 2 with diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of AcOH/NH4OAc afforded (4-cyano-5-dicyanomethylene-2-oxo-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-acetic acid ethyl ester 15B.

Synthesis of heterocyclic homotriptycenes.

A series of novel heterocyclic homotriptycenes bearing furan, thiophene, and pyridine rings, 7a-f, were synthesized by intramolecular dehydration reactions of 10,10-dihetarylmethyl-9,10-dihydroanthracen-9-ols 6a-f. In the presence of acids, the secondary alcohols 6a-f show different reactions which depend on the electron densities of the attached heterocyclic rings. The initially formed carbenium ions react in an electrophilic substitution with electron-rich heterocycles. The formation of a transannular bridge (1,7-elimination) leads to homotriptycenes in high yields. When the heterocyclic ring has a moderate electron density, two competitive reactions exist, which afford 9-monosubstituted anthracenes by 1,4-elimination or 9,10-disubstituted anthracenes by a rearrangement, respectively. Electron-deficient heterocycles undergo a disproportionation to give hydrocarbons and ketones.

Organic dye bearing asymmetric double donor-π-acceptor chains for dye-sensitized solar cells.

A novel efficient metal free sensitizer containing asymmetric double donor-π-acceptor chains (DC) was synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Comparing to 3.80%, 4.40% and 4.64% for the DSSCs based on the dyes with single chain (SC1, SC2) and cosensitizers (SC1 + SC2), the overall conversion efficiency reaches 6.06% for DC-sensitized solar cells as a result of its longer electron lifetime and higher incident monochromatic photon-to-current conversion efficiency.

Efficient synthesis of copillar[5]arenes and their host-guest properties with dibromoalkanes.

An efficient method for the synthesis of copillar[5]arenes was developed with FeCl(3) as catalyst and different 1,4-dialkoxybenzenes and paraformaldehyde as reactants (yields: 50-85%). The host-guest property of (co)pillar[5]arenes and terminal dibromoalkanes was investigated by (1)H NMR measurements and an X-ray study. The complexation behavior of the copillar[5]arenes can be tuned by changing the substituents on the host. A complete complexation selectivity was found between pillar[5]- and pillar[6]arenes, which is an interesting aspect for sensor techniques.

Polyfunctional nitriles in organic syntheses: a novel route to aminopyrroles, pyridazines and pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridazines.

Phenacylmalononitrile 1 reacts with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal to yield an enaminone which could be readily converted into a pyrrole or an aminopyridazine by treating with ammonium acetate and hydrazine hydrate, respectively. Compound 1 reacted with hydrazine hydrate in ethanol at room temperature to yield the dihydropyridazine 9 as a single product. In refluxing ethanol this product further reacted with hydrazine hydrate to yield the novel dihydropyrazolopyridazinamine 10.

High electrical conductance of single molecules: a challenge in the series of conjugated oligomers.

En route to molecular electronics: As extended, conjugated oligomers are desirable for molecular electronics, their electrical conductance should display a low attenuation factor. Zinc-complexed oligo(ethynyleneporphyrindiylethynylene)s have been prepared that are distinguished by ultralow attenuation factors in single-molecule conductance.

Crystal structure analysis of a star-shaped triazine compound: a combination of single-crystal three-dimensional electron diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction.

The solid-state structure of star-shaped 2,4,6-tris{(E)-2-[4-(dimethylamino)-phenyl]ethenyl}-1,3,5-triazine is determined from a powder sample by exploiting the respective strengths of single-crystal three-dimensional electron diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction data. The unit-cell parameters were determined from single crystal electron diffraction data. Using this information, the powder X-ray diffraction data were indexed, and the crystal structure was determined from the powder diffraction profile. The compound crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric space group, P212121. The molecular conformation in the crystal structure was used to calculate the molecular dipole moment of 3.22 Debye, which enables the material to show nonlinear optical effects.

Fluorescent-Cavity Host: An Efficient Probe to Study Supramolecular Recognition Mechanisms.

Using fluorometry to study the interactions between guests and host cavities is often challenging, especially for hosts with small cavities because the fluorophore may not be close to the binding site. Therefore, it is critical to overcome this hurdle to broaden the applicability of fluorometry in supramolecular chemistry. Herein, we designed a fluorescent-cavity host (H1) by conjugating the binding site of a pillar[5]arene cavity and studied its host-guest recognition mechanism in the cavity. Distinct fluorescent responses of H1 were observed for cyano homologues: the fluorescence was enhanced for succinonitrile but quenched for malononitrile. Such an unusual phenomenon with such subtle difference in guest structure was attributed to the different host-guest interactions induced by the subtle difference of guest locations within the H1 cavity. Our results indicate that developing fluorescent-cavity hosts as probes will provide a powerful and insightful way to explore the exquisite detail of host-guest recognition, self-assembly, and molecular machinery.

Stronger host-guest binding does not necessarily give brighter particles: a case study on polymeric AIEE-tunable and size-tunable supraspheres.

Supraspheres were prepared from a pillar[5]arene-based linear polymer (the host) and several multitopic guests. According to host-guest binding studies in nanosystems, the optical and structural properties (fluorescence capability, density, and particle size) of the nanoparticles were correlated not with the host-guest binding affinities, but with the relative fluorescence quantum yield.

Selective precipitation of alkyl dihalides using a newly synthesized water-soluble bisphosphorylpillar[5]arene.

Bisphosphorylpillar[5]arenes ( and ) were synthesized and used to study the host-guest complexation in organic solvents and water. The interactions between the guests and the phosphate of the hosts lead to strong binding towards alkyl dihalides and alkyldiammonium ions. may be used to detect or separate alkyl dihalides in water due to the rapid precipitation of the complex.

Correction: Selective precipitation of alkyl dihalides using a newly synthesized water-soluble bisphosphorylpillar[5]arene.

Correction for 'Selective precipitation of alkyl dihalides using a newly synthesized water-soluble bisphosphorylpillar[5]arene' by Wenjin Cheng et al., Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 8075-8078.

Conjugated oligomers with terminal donor-acceptor substitution.

Conjugated oligomers represent a prominent class of compounds from a viewpoint of their theory, synthesis, and applications in materials science. Push-pull substitution with an electron donor D at one end of the conjugation and an electron acceptor A at the other end results in them having outstanding optical and electronical properties. This Review highlights fundamental synthetic strategies for the preparation of such oligomers with n repeat units (n=1, 2, 3, 4, ..) and the rules that govern their linear and nonlinear optical properties (absorption, frequency doubling and tripling). The unification of chemical, physical, and theoretical aspects with an interdisciplinary image of this class of compounds is attempted herein.

Effect of donor-acceptor substitution on the nonlinear optical properties of oligo(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)s studied by third harmonic generation spectroscopy.

Third-harmonic generation (THG) spectroscopy was performed for oligo(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) with terminal donor-acceptor (DA) substitution and compared to the results of merely donor substituted OPEs and regular OPE chains with 2,5-dipropoxy benzene rings. Both, extension of the conjugation and push-pull effect enhance the molecular hyperpolarizability gamma, even for the DAOPEs, which exhibit a hypsochromic shift of the long-wavelength absorption for increasing length L of the conjugated chain.

2,3-Dipentyldithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline-Based Organic Dyes for Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Effect of π-Bridges and Electron Donors on Solar Cell Performance.

Five novel metal-free organic dyes DQ1-5 containing a dipentyldithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline (DPQ) unit were synthesized and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), where DPQ was employed as a π-spacer for the first time. Their photophysical, electrochemical, and theoretical calculations and photovoltaic properties were systematically investigated. All the five dyes show broad photoresponse. Especially the absorption edges of DQ3-5 extend to 800 nm on the TiO2 films. The inserted electron-rich unit 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene or electron-withdrawing group benzothiadiazole (BTD) in DPQ-based dyes can greatly influence the optoelectronic properties of the dyes. In addition, the different electron donors also significantly affect the performance of the DSSCs. Under standard global AM 1.5 solar light conditions, the DQ5 sensitized solar cell obtained a power conversion efficiency of 7.12%. The result indicates that the rigid DPQ-based organic dye is a promising candidate for efficient DSSCs.