Recognition Selectivities of Lasso-Type Pseudo[1]rotaxane Based on a Mono-Ester-Functionalized Pillar[5]arene.

Two types of mono-ester-functionalized pillar[5]arenes, P1 and P2, bearing different side-chain groups, were synthesized. Their host-guest complexation and self-inclusion properties were studied by 1H NMR and 2D nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) NMR measurements. The results showed that the substituents on their phenolic units have a great influence on the self-assembly of both pillar[5]arenes, although they both could form stable pseudo[1]rotaxanes at room temperature. When eight bulky 4-brombutyloxy groups were capped on the cavity, instead of methoxy groups, pseudo[1]rotaxane P1 became less stable and its locked ester group in the inner space of cavity was not as deep as P2, leading to distinctly different host-guest properties between P1 and P2 with 1,6-dibromohexane. Moreover, pillar[5]arene P1 displayed effective molecular recognition toward 1,6-dichlorohexane and 1,2-bromoethane among the guest dihalides. In addition, the self-complex models and stabilities between P1 and P2 were also studied by computational modeling and experimental calculations.

Synthesis of a dehydroabietyl derivative bearing a 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole unit and its selective Cu²+ chemosensing.

A dehydroabietyl derivative 2 bearing a 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole unit was synthesized and its sensing behaviors toward metal ions were investigated by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy methods. In THF solution, compound 2 exhibited excellent selectivity for CuII over miscellaneous other metal ions including CrII, MnII, CoII, NiII, ZnII, CdII, AlIII, MgII, PbII, HgII, NaI, LiI and KI evidenced through the quenching of the fluorescence of the benzimidazole fragment. The reaction between 2 and Cu²+ was found to be stoichiometric with the formation of a 1:1 complex.