para-Phenylenediamine Dimer as a Redox-Active Guest for Supramolecular Systems.

Redox-active components are highly valuable in the construction of molecular devices. We combined two p-phenylenediamines (p-PDA) with a biphenyl (BiPhe) unit to prepare a supramolecular guest 4 consisting of three binding sites for cucurbit[7/8]uril (CBn) and/or cyclodextrins (CD). Supramolecular properties of 4 were investigated using NMR, UV-vis, mass spectrometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Our analysis revealed that 4 forms higher-order host-guest complexes, wherein a CD unit occupies the central BiPhe site, secured by two CBn units at the terminal p-PDA sites. Additionally, 1 : 1 complexes with α-CD and ß-CD, a 1 : 2 complex with γ-CD and 2 : 1 complexes with CB7 and CB8 were identified. Through UV-vis and cyclic voltammetry, redox processes leading to the formation of a stable, deep blue dication diradical of 4 are elucidated. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that CB7 selectively protects oxidised 4 from reduction in the presence of a reducing agent. The supramolecular and redox properties of the structural motif represented by 4 render it an interesting candidate for the construction of supramolecular devices.

Two Squares in a Barrel: An Axially Disubstituted Conformationally Rigid Aliphatic Binding Motif for Cucurbit[6]uril.

Novel binding motifs suitable for the construction of multitopic guest-based molecular devices (e.g., switches, sensors, data storage, and catalysts) are needed in supramolecular chemistry. No rigid, aliphatic binding motif that allows for axial disubstitution has been described for cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) so far. We prepared three model guests combining spiro[3.3]heptane and bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane centerpieces with imidazolium and ammonium termini. We described their binding properties toward CB6/7 and α-/ß-CD using NMR, titration calorimetry, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We found that a bisimidazolio spiro[3.3]heptane guest forms inclusion complexes with CB6, CB7, and ß-CD with respective association constants of 4.0 × 104, 1.2 × 1012, and 1.4 × 102. Due to less hindering terminal groups, the diammonio analogue forms more stable complexes with CB6 (K = 1.4 × 106) and CB7 (K = 3.8 × 1012). The bisimidazolio bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane guest forms a highly stable complex only with CB7 with a K value of 1.1 × 1011. The high selectivity of the new binding motifs implies promising potential in the construction of multitopic supramolecular components.

Convergent Assembly of the Tricyclic Labdane Core Enables Synthesis of Diverse Forskolin-like Molecules.

We report a new synthetic strategy for the flexible preparation of forskolin-like molecules. The approach is different from the previously published works and employs a convergent assembly of the tricyclic labdane-type core from pre-functionalized cyclic building blocks. Stereoselective Michael addition enabled the fragment coupling with excellent control over three newly created contiguous stereocenters, all-carbon quaternary centers included. Silyl enol ether-promoted ring-opening metathesis paired with ring closure were the other key steps enabling concise assembly of the tricyclic core. Late-stage functionalization sequences transformed the tricyclic intermediates into a set of different forskolin-like molecules. The modular nature of the synthetic scheme described herein has the potential to become a general platform for the preparation of analogs of forskolin and other complex tricyclic labdanes.

Adamantane-Substituted Purine Nucleosides: Synthesis, Host-Guest Complexes with ß-Cyclodextrin and Biological Activity.

Purine nucleosides represent an interesting group of nitrogen heterocycles, showing a wide range of biological effects. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of 6,9-disubstituted and 2,6,9-trisubstituted purine ribonucleosides via consecutive nucleophilic aromatic substitution, glycosylation, and deprotection of the ribofuranose unit. We prepared eight new purine nucleosides bearing unique adamantylated aromatic amines at position 6. Additionally, the ability of the synthesized purine nucleosides to form stable host-guest complexes with ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) was confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) experiments. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of purine nucleosides and their equimolar mixtures with ß-CD was tested against two types of human tumor cell line. Six adamantane-based purine nucleosides showed an antiproliferative activity in the micromolar range. Moreover, their effect was only slightly suppressed by the presence of ß-CD, which was probably due to the competitive binding of the corresponding purine nucleoside inside the ß-CD cavity.

Highly Efficient and Selective Recognition of Dicyanoaurate(I) by a Bambusuril Macrocycle in Water.

Dicyanoaurate(I) anion, [Au(CN)2 ]- , plays a central role in the current industrial production of gold, as its extraction from crude ore samples represents the most money-consuming step. Herein, we present the strongest host-guest recognition of dicyanoaurate anion using the bambusuril receptor in water, a highly competitive solvent. The micromolar stability of such a complex facilitated the up to date most efficient supramolecular stripping of dicyanoaurate from activated carbon at ambient temperature. Thermodynamic characteristics of bambusuril binding with [Au(CN)2 ]- differing from binding of other inorganic chaotropic anions are rationalized, as well as the bambusuril selectivity for [Au(CN)2 ]- over [Ag(CN)2 ]- .

Hydrogen-bond directionality and symmetry in [C(O)NH](N)2P(O)-based structures: a comparison between X-ray crystallography data and neutron-normalized values, and evaluation of reliability.

For [C(O)NH](N)2P(O)-based structures, the magnitude of the differences in the N-H...O, H...O=P and H...O=C angles has been evaluated when the N-H bond lengths, determined by X-ray diffraction, were compared to the neutron normalized values and the maximum percentage difference was obtained, i.e. about 3% for the angle even if the N-H bond lengths have a difference of about 30% (0.7 Šfor the X-ray and 1.03 Šfor the neutron-normalized value). The symmetries of the crystals are discussed with respect to the symmetry of the molecules, as well as to the symmetry of hydrogen-bonded motifs, and the role of the most directional hydrogen bond in raising the probability of obtaining centrosymmetric crystal structures is investigated. The work was performed by considering nine new X-ray crystal structures and 204 analogous structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database.

Conformational analysis of two new organotin(IV) structures completed with a CSD survey.

The conformational flexibilities are studied in two new organotin(IV) complexes, namely, trans-dichloridodimethylbis[N,N',N''-tris(2-chlorobenzyl)phosphoric triamide]tin(IV), [Sn(CH3)2(C21H21Cl3N3OP)2Cl2] or Sn(CH3)2Cl2{OP[NHCH2C6H4(2-Cl)]3}2, (I), and bis(dipropylammonium) tetrachloridodimethylstannate(IV), [(CH3CH2CH2)2NH2]2[Sn(CH3)2Cl4], (II), and their analogous structures from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The conformations are considered based on the N-P=O-Sn torsion angles for (I) and the C-C-C-N, C-C-N-C, C-N-C-C and N-C-C-C torsion angles for the two symmetry-independent [CH3CH2CH2NH2CH2CH2CH3]+ cations in (II), and the ±ac±sp±ac (ac = anticlinal and sp = synperiplanar) and ±ap±ap±ap±ap (ap = antiperiplanar) conformations are observed, respectively. In both structures, the four atoms in the corners of the square-planar segment of the octahedral shape around the Sn atom participate in normal hydrogen-bonding interactions as acceptors, which include two O and two Cl atoms for (I), and four Cl atoms for (II). However, the phosphoric triamide ligands block the environment around the Sn atom and limit the hydrogen-bond pattern to form a supramolecular ribbon assembly, while in the presence of small organic cations in (II), a two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded architecture is achieved. The weak interactions π-π, C-H...π and C-Cl...π in (I), and C-H...Cl in (II) do not change the dimensionality of the hydrogen-bond pattern. The 62 CSD structures analogous to (I), i.e. with an SnOPN3 segment (including 83 entries) fall into four categories of conformations based on the N-P=O-Sn torsion angles. The 132 [(CH3CH2CH2)2NH2]+ cations from 85 CSD structures are classified into seven groups based on the torsion angles noted for (II). Most of the CSD structures adopt the same associated conformations noted for (I) and (II). 15 [Sn(CH3)2Cl4]2- anions extracted from the CSD are compared with the structure of (II).

A Photochemical/Thermal Switch Based on 4,4'-Bis(benzimidazolio)stilbene: Synthesis and Supramolecular Properties.

Stilbene derivatives are well-recognised substructures of molecular switches based on photochemically and/or thermally induced (E)/(Z) isomerisation. We combined a stilbene motif with two benzimidazolium arms to prepare new sorts of supramolecular building blocks and examined their binding properties towards cucurbit[n]urils (n=7, 8) and cyclodextrins (ß-CD, γ-CD) in water. Based on the 1 H NMR data and molecular dynamics simulations, we found that two distinct complexes with different stoichiometry, i. e., guest@ß-CD and guest@ß-CD2 , coexist in equilibrium in a water solution of the (Z)-stilbene-based guests. We also demonstrated that the bis(benzimidazolio)stilbene guests can be transformed from the (E) into the (Z) form via UV irradiation and back via thermal treatment in DMSO.

Zwitterionic Ru(III) Complexes: Stability of Metal-Ligand Bond and Host-Guest Binding with Cucurbit[7]uril.

A wide range of ruthenium-based coordination compounds have been reported to possess potential as metallodrugs with anticancer or antimetastatic activity. In this work, we synthesized a set of new zwitterionic Ru(III) compounds bearing ligands derived from N-alkyl (R) systems based on pyridine, 4,4'-bipyridine, or 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). The effects of the ligand(s) and their environment on the coordination stability have been investigated. Whereas the [DABCO-R]+ ligand is shown to be easily split out of a negative [RuCl4]- core, positively charged R-pyridine and R-bipyridine ligands form somewhat more stable Ru(III) complexes and can be used as supramolecular anchors for binding with macrocycles. Therefore, supramolecular host-guest assemblies between the stable zwitterionic Ru(III) guests and the cucurbit[7]uril host were investigated and characterized in detail by using NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Paramagnetic 1H NMR experiments supplemented by relativistic DFT calculations of the structure and hyperfine NMR shifts were performed to determine the host-guest binding modes in solution. In contrast to the intramolecular hyperfine shifts, dominated by the through-bond Fermi-contact mechanism, supramolecular hyperfine shifts were shown to depend on the "through-space" spin-dipole contributions with structural trends being satisfactorily reproduced by a simple point-dipole approximation.

Stereocontrolled Synthesis of (-)-Bactobolin A.

A stereoselective synthesis of the ribosome-binding antitumor antibiotic (-)-bactobolin A is reported. The presented approach makes effective use of (-)-quinic acid as a chiral pool starting material and substrate stereocontrol to establish the five contiguous stereocenters of (-)-bactobolin A. The key steps of the synthesis include a stereoselective vinylogous aldol reaction to introduce the unusual dichloromethyl substituent, a completely diastereoselective rhodium(II)-catalyzed C-H amination reaction to set the configuration of the axial amine, and an intramolecular alkoxycarbonylation to build the bicyclic lactone framework. The developed synthetic route was used to prepare 90 mg of (-)-bactobolin A trifluoroacetate in 10% overall yield.

Conformational flexibility in amidophosphoesters: a CSD analysis completed with two new crystal structures of (C6H5O)2P(O)X [X = NHC7H13 and N(CH2C6H5)2].

The crystal structures of diphenyl (cycloheptylamido)phosphate, C19H24NO3P or (C6H5O)2P(O)(NHC7H13), (I), and diphenyl (dibenzylamido)phosphate, C26H24NO3P or (C6H5O)2P(O)[N(CH2C6H5)2], (II), are reported. The NHC7H13 group in (I) provides two significant hydrogen-donor sites in N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bonds, needed for a one-dimensional hydrogen-bond pattern along [100] in the crystal, while (II), with a (C6H5CH2)2N moiety, lacks these hydrogen bonds, but its three-dimensional supramolecular structure is mediated by C-H...π interactions. The conformational behaviour of the phenyl rings in (I), (II) and analogous structures from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) were studied in terms of flexibility, volume of the other group attached to phosphorus and packing forces. From this study, synclinal (±sc), anticlinal (±ac) and antiperiplanar (±ap) conformations were found to occur. In the structure of (II), there is an intramolecular Cortho-H...O interaction that imposes a +sc conformation for the phenyl ring involved. For the structures from the CSD, the +sc and ±ap conformations appear to be mainly imposed by similar Cortho-H...O intramolecular interactions. The large contribution of the C...H/H...C contacts (32.3%) in the two-dimensional fingerprint plots of (II) is a result of the C-H...π interactions. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses exhibit peak temperatures (Tm) at 109 and 81 °C for (I) and (II), respectively, which agree with the strengths of the intermolecular contacts and the melting points.

Quantum chemical calculations of 31P NMR chemical shifts of P-donor ligands in platinum(II) complexes.

This work aims to find the most suitable method that is practically applicable for the calculation of 31P NMR chemical shifts of Pt(II) complexes. The influence of various all-electron and ECP basis sets, DFT functionals, and solvent effects on the optimized geometry was tested. A variety of combinations of DFT functionals BP86, B3LYP, PBE0, TPSSh, CAM-B3LYP, and ωB97XD with all-electron basis sets 6-31G, 6-31G(d), 6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p), and TZVP and ECP basis sets SDD, LanL2DZ, and CEP-31G were used. Chemical shielding constants were then calculated using BP86, PBE0, and B3LYP functionals in combination with the TZ2P basis. The magnitude of spin-orbit interactions was also evaluated.

Hypervalent Iodine Based Reversible Covalent Bond in Rotaxane Synthesis.

Reversible covalent bonds play a significant role in achieving the high-yielding synthesis of mechanically interlocked molecules. Still, only a handful of such bonds have been successfully employed in synthetic procedures. Herein, we introduce a novel approach for the fast and simple preparation of interlocked molecules, combining the dynamic bond character of bis(acyloxy)iodate(I) anions with macrocyclic bambusuril anion receptors. The proof of principle was demonstrated on rotaxane synthesis, with near-quantitative yields observed in both the classical and "in situ" approach. The rotaxane formation was confirmed in the solid-state and solution by the X-ray and NMR studies. Our novel approach could be utilized in the fields of dynamic combinatorial chemistry, supramolecular polymers, or molecular machines, as well inspire further research on molecules that exhibit dynamic behavior, but owing to their high reactivity, have not been considered as constituents of more elaborate supramolecular structures.

Locked and Loaded: Ruthenium(II)-Capped Cucurbit[n]uril-Based Rotaxanes with Antimetastatic Properties.

We report here the first coupling of Ru(II) units with cucurbit[6/7]uril-based pseudorotaxane ligands meant for biological application. The resulting ruthenium-capped rotaxanes were fully characterized, and a structure of one supramolecular system was determined by X-ray diffraction. Because the biological properties of Ru-based metallodrugs are tightly linked to the ligand-exchange processes, the effect of salt concentration on the hydrolysis of chlorides from the Ru(II) center was monitored by using 1H NMR spectroscopy. The biological activity of Ru(II)-based rotaxanes was evaluated for three selected mammalian breast cell lines, HBL-100, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231. The antimetastatic activity of the assembled cationic Ru(II)-rotaxane systems, evaluated in migration assays against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, is notably enhanced compared to that of RAPTA-C, a reference that was used. The indicated synergistic effect of combining Ru(II) with a pseudorotaxane unit opens a new direction in searching for anticancer supramolecular metallodrugs.

Two single-enantiomer amidophosphoesters: a database study on the chirality of (O)2P(O)(N)-based structures.

The crystal structures of two single-enantiomer amidophosphoesters with an (O)2P(O)(N) skeleton, i.e. diphenyl [(R)-(+)-α-methylbenzylamido]phosphate, (I), and diphenyl [(S)-(-)-α-methylbenzylamido]phosphate, (II), both C20H20NO3P, are reported. In both structures, chiral one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded architectures, along [010], are mediated by N-H...OP interactions. The statistically identical assemblies include the noncentrosymmetric graph-set motif C(4) and the compounds crystallize in the chiral space group P21. As a result of synergistic co-operation from C-H...O interactions, a two-dimensional superstructure is built including a noncentrosymmetric R44(22) hydrogen-bonded motif. A Cambridge Structural Database survey was performed on (O)2P(O)(N)-based structures in order to review the frequency of space groups observed in this family of compounds; the hydrogen-bond motifs in structures with chiral space groups and the types of groups inducing chirality are discussed. The 2,3JX-P (X = H or C) coupling constants from the NMR spectra of (I) and (II) have been studied. In each compound, the two diastereotopic C6H5O groups are different, which is reflected in the different chemical shifts and some coupling constants.

A combined X-ray crystallography and theoretical study of N-H...OX (X is =P and -C) hydrogen bonds in two new structures with a (C-O)2(N)P(=Y) (Y is O and S) skeleton.

The crystal structures of N,N'-(cyclohexane-1,4-diyl)bis(O,O'-diphenylphosphoramide), C30H32N2O6P2 or (C6H5O)2P(O)(1-NH)(C6H10)(4-NH)P(O)(OC6H5)2, (I), and N,N'-(1,4-phenylene)bis(O,O'-dimethylthiophosphoramide), C10H18N2O4P2S2 or (CH3O)2P(S)(1-NH)(C6H4)(4-NH)P(S)(OCH3)2, (II), have been investigated. In the structure of (I), with an (O)2(N)P(O) skeleton, two symmetry-independent phosphoramide molecules are linked through N-H...O=P hydrogen bonds. In the structure of (II), with an (O)2(N)P(S) skeleton, the ester O atoms take part in N-H...O-C hydrogen bonds as acceptors; the P=S groups do not participate in hydrogen-bonding interactions. The strengths of these hydrogen bonds were evaluated, using quantum chemical calculations with the GAUSSIAN09 software package at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. For this, LP(O) to σ*(NH) charge transfers were studied, according to the second-order perturbation theory in natural bond orbital (NBO) methodology, for a three-component cluster of hydrogen-bonded molecules for both structures, including all of the independent N-H...O hydrogen bonds observed in the crystal packing. The details of the intermolecular interactions were studied by Hirshfeld surface maps and two-dimensional fingerprint plots.

Enantioselective Conjugate Additions of 2-Alkoxycarbonyl-3(2 H)-furanones.

Enantioselective conjugate additions of in situ generated 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3(2 H)-furanones to three distinct types of π-electrophiles (terminal alkynones, α-bromo enones, and α-benzyl nitroalkenes) are reported. Catalysis by a nickel(II)-diamine complex provided alkynone-derived adducts with high enantioselectivity, preferentially as the Z-isomers, and completely suppressed the undesired O-alkylation pathway. A cupreidine-based catalyst enabled extension of the enantioselective conjugate additions to α-bromo enones and α-benzyl nitroalkenes. The densely functionalized adducts that result are useful precursors to synthetic analogs of spirocyclic natural products pseurotins.

Alumazene Reactivity with Quinolinols - Addition and Substitution Reactions on the Al3N3 Ring.

Molecular structures of two compounds obtained in reactions of alumazene [DippNAlMe]3 (1, Dipp = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3) with substituted quinolinols have been elucidated by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Quinolin-8-ol (Hq) provides a dinuclear complex [(DippNH)2Al2Me2(q)2] (2) with a central Al2O2 ring and five-coordinate Al atoms. The compound 2×THF crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pbca space group. The molecular structure of a mononuclear complex [(DippNH)Al(Meq)2] (3) obtained in the reaction of 1 with 2-methylquinolin-8-ol (HMeq) possesses a five-coordinate Al center. The structure was solved in a triclinic cell P-1. The dinuclear complex 2 can be considered as a model product of alcohol addition on the formal Al-N double bond, while the mononuclear complex 3 represents subsequent reaction of remaining Al-Me moiety with proton. Both complexes 2 and 3 are highly luminescent showing emission around 500 nm in solid state.

Hyperfine Effects in Ligand NMR: Paramagnetic Ru(III) Complexes with 3-Substituted Pyridines.

NMR spectroscopy is an indispensable tool in characterizing molecular systems, including transition-metal complexes. However, paramagnetic transition-metal complexes such as those with ruthenium in the +3 oxidation state are troublemakers because their unpaired electrons induce a fast nuclear spin relaxation that significantly broadens their NMR resonances. We recently demonstrated that the electronic and spin structures of paramagnetic Ru(III) systems can be characterized in unprecedented details by combining experimental NMR results with relativistic density-functional theory ( Novotny et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016 , 138 , 8432 ). In this study we focus on paramagnetic analogs of NAMI with the general structure [3-R-pyH]+trans-[RuIIICl4(DMSO)(3-R-py)]-, where 3-R-py stands for a 3-substituted pyridine. The experimental NMR data are interpreted in terms of the contributions of hyperfine (HF) NMR shielding and the distribution of spin density calculated using relativistic DFT. The DFT computational methodology is evaluated, and the effects of substituents, environment, and relativity on the hyperfine shielding are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the fundamental Fermi-contact (FC), spin-dipole (SD), and paramagnetic spin-orbit (PSO) terms that contribute to the hyperfine 1H and 13C NMR shifts of the individual atoms in the pyridine ligands and the spin-polarization effects in the ligand system that are linked to the character of the metal-ligand bond. The individual HF shielding terms are systematically discussed as they relate to the traditional, but somewhat mixed, contact and pseudocontact NMR contributions used extensively by experimental spectroscopists in biomolecular NMR and the development of PARACEST magnetic-resonance contrast agents.

Cubane Arrives on the Cucurbituril Scene.

Cubane, an intriguing chemical curiosity first studied in the early 1960s, has become a valuable structural motif and has recently been involved in the structures of a great number of prospective compounds. The first dicationic supramolecular guest 5 is prepared and derived from a 1,4-disubstituted cubane moiety, and its binding behavior toward cucurbit[n]urils (CBn) and cyclodextrins (CD) is studied. The bisimidazolium salt 5 forms 1:1 inclusion complexes with CB7, CB8, and ß-CD with the respective association constants (6.7 ± 0.5) × 1011 M-1, (1.5 ± 0.2) × 109 M-1, and <102 M-1 in water. The solid-state structures of the 5@CB7 and 5@CB8 complexes are also reported.