calixarenes and carbene

Calixarene-analogous metacyclophanes (CAMs) are a special class of cyclophanes that are cyclic polyaromatic hydrocarbons containing three or more aromatic rings linked by one or more methylene bridging groups. They can be considered to be analogues of calixarenes, since, in both types of molecules, the component aromatic rings are linked by methylene groups, which are meta to each other. Since the prototype or classical calix[4]arene consists of four benzene rings each linked by methylene bridges, which are also meta to each other, it can be considered to be an example of a functionalized [1.1.1.1]metacyclophane. A metacyclophane (MCP) that consists of three individual hydroxyl-group functionalized aromatic rings linked by methylene groups, e.g., a trihydroxy[1.1.1]MCP may therefore, by analogy, be termed in the broadest sense as a "calix[3]arene" or a "calix[3]arene-analogous metacyclophane". Most of the CAMs reported have been synthesized by fragment coupling approaches. The design, synthesis and development of functionalized CAMs, MCPs, calixarenes and calixarene analogues has been an area of great activity in the past few decades, due their potential applications as molecular receptors, sensors and ligands for metal binding, and for theoretical studies, etc. In this review article, we focus mainly on the synthesis, structure and conformational properties of [1.1.1]CAMs, i.e., "calix[3]arenes" and their analogues, which contain three functionalized aromatic rings and which provide new scaffolds for further explorations in supramolecular and sensor chemistry.

Topics: Benzene Derivatives; Calixarenes; Chemistry, Organic; Cyclization; Drug Design; Hydrocarbons; Ligands; Metals; Methane; Molecular Conformation; Molecular Structure; Stereoisomerism

We investigate the synthesis of accessible calix[4]arene-bound gold clusters consisting of open "coordinatively unsaturated" active sites, using a comparative approach that relies on calix[4]arene ligands with various upper- and lower-rim substituents. In contrast with a reported Au(I)-tert-butyl-calixarene phosphine complex, which exhibits a single cone conformer in solution, the H upper-rim analog exhibits multiple conformers in solution. This contrasts with observations of the tert-butyl upper-rim analog, which exhibits a single cone conformer in solution under similar conditions. In the solid state, as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, both H and tert-butyl upper-rim analogs exhibit exclusively cone conformer. A detailed structural analysis of these two solid-state structures highlights a CH-π interaction involving a methoxy lower-rim substituent and phenyl substituent on P as the key feature that enforces a tight configuration of Au(I) atoms on the same side of the calix[4]arene lower-rim plane. We hypothesize that such a configuration promotes chelation of the ligand to a gold surface and facilitates the synthesis of small Au11-sized clusters after reduction of both complexes. The new cluster, like the one reported with the tert-butyl analog, has an extraordinary 25% of surface atoms that are open and accessible to a 2-NT (2-naphthalenethiol) probe in solution. We also investigated the effect of calix[4]arene lower-rim substituents that coordinate to the metal, by using N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) functional groups rather than phosphines. Four small (<1.6 nm diameter) calix[4]arene NHC-bound gold clusters were synthesized, including three using novel calix[4]arene NHC ligands. The smallest calix[4]arene NHC-bound Au cluster consisted of a 1.2 nm gold core, and its number density of accessible and open surface sites was measured. This required development of a new titration method for open sites on gold clusters, using a SAMSA fluorescein dye molecule, which excites and emits at lower energy relative to the previously used 2-NT probe. The number density of open sites on the new calix[4]arene NHC-bound gold cluster measured by the SAMSA fluorescein probe strongly supports the generality of a mechanical model of accessibility, which does not depend on the functional group involved in binding to the gold surface and rather depends on the relative radii of curvature of bound ligands and the gold cluster core.

Topics: Calixarenes; Gold; Heterocyclic Compounds; Ligands; Methane; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Organogold Compounds; Phenols; Phosphines

The calix[4]arene-imidazolium salts 5-(3-butyl-1-imidazolylium)-25,26,27,28-tetrabenzyloxy-calix[4]arene bromide (cone) (2), and 5,11-bis(3-alkyl-1-imidazolylium)-25,26,27,28-tetrabenzyloxycalix[4]arene diiodide (cone) (R = methyl, 3a; R = n-butyl, 3b) have been synthesised. Reaction of 2 in dioxane with PdCl(2) in the presence of CsCO(3) and KBr (80 °C, 24 h) gives the carbene complex trans-[PdBr(2)(calix-monocarbene)(2)] (14), containing two N-heterocyclic carbene ligands derived from 2 (yield: 63%). Repeating the reaction in pyridine instead of dioxane gives the mixed pyridine-carbene complex trans-[PdBr(2)(calix-carbene)(pyridine)] (15) in 75% yield. Treatment of the bis-imidazolium salt 3a with [Pd(OAc)(2)] affords a chelate complex, trans-[PdI(2){calix-bis(carbene)}] (16), in which a metallo-(bis-carbene) fragment caps the upper rim of the calixarene basket. Complex 16, as well as its analogue 17, obtained from 3b, display apparent C(s)-symmetry in solution. This is not the case in the solid state, a single X-ray diffraction study carried out for 16 revealing a pinced cone structure for the calixarene skeleton, which reduces the symmetry to C(1). The chelate complex 17 shows poor activity in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of phenyl boronic acid and p-tolyl halides, an observation that suggests the presence of a strained metallocyclic unit preventing easy stereochemical rearrangement to an active species. Unlike 17, complexes 14 and 15 show good activities in cross-coupling. A comparative study using the carbene precursor 1-butyl-3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium bromide (18), which is devoid of the receptor fragment, strongly suggests that the carbene ligands of 14 and 15 operate typically as bulky NHC-ligands.

Topics: Calixarenes; Coordination Complexes; Crystallography, X-Ray; Heterocyclic Compounds; Imidazoles; Methane; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Palladium; Phenols; Stereoisomerism

The scope of the reaction of the tetrabromocalixarene derivative 2b with alcohols under solvolytic conditions in trifluoroethanol (TFE) or hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) was explored. The reaction proceeded readily with MeOH, EtOH, n-PrOH, ethylene glycol and i-PrOH affording preferentially the rccc isomer of the tetrasubstituted product. The methoxy derivative 6a undergoes isomerization upon attempted recrystallization from CHCl3/MeOH and its rcct and rctt forms were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Incorporation of hydroxy groups on the bridges was accomplished via solvolysis in AcOH, followed by LiAlH4 reduction of the acetoxy groups. Reaction of the tetra-(2-methylfuranyl)calixarene derivative 11 with benzyne followed by deoxygenation with Me3SiCl/NaI afforded in low yield the tetra-(4-methylnaphthyl)calix[4]arene derivative 12. Reaction of de-tert-butylated tetrabromo derivative 2a with m-xylene in HFIP followed by methylation of the crude product afforded the tetraxylyl derivative 14.

Topics: Alcohols; Calixarenes; Crystallography, X-Ray; Methane; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Phenols; Propanols; Stereoisomerism; Trifluoroethanol

A new method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical calix[4]arenes is described which involves the reaction of a diyne with a bis-carbene complex of chromium. This synthesis of calixarenes is unique in that it involves the formation of two of the four benzene rings of the calixarene and the macrocyclic ring of the calixarene in the same step. Thus, two of the four benzene rings of the calixarene are identical, but the other two rings may each be different, giving a general method for the synthesis of calixarenes in which there are either two or three differently substituted benzene rings. This protocol gives access to a large family of unsymmetrical calixarenes by the proper choice of arene substitution in the starting diyne and the starting carbene complex. Nine examples are presented in which the yields in the key triple annulation step range from 22 to 41%. The overall yields of calixarenes from commercially available starting materials compare favorably with those from existing methods for the synthesis of unsymmetrical calix[4]arenes.

Topics: Alkynes; Benzene Derivatives; Calixarenes; Cyclization; Hydrocarbons; Methane