cucurbit(8)uril and naphthalene

Host–guest interactions are employed to manipulate the assembled morphology of an amphiphile, 2-NP, which contains an electron-rich naphthalene group and an electron-deficient pyridinium cation linked with a flexible alkyl arm. By encapsulating the pyridinium and the naphthalene group of 2-NP into the cavity of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), fluorescence-enhanced microsheets were formed.

Topics: Bridged-Ring Compounds; Fluorescence; Imidazoles; Models, Molecular; Nanostructures; Naphthalenes; Pyridinium Compounds; Surface-Active Agents

Cucurbit[8]uril is a supramolecular inducer of protein heterodimerization for proteins appended with methylviologen and naphthalene host elements. Two sets of fluorescent protein pairs, which visualize the specific protein assembly process, enabled the interplay of the supramolecular elements with the proteins to be established.

Topics: Bridged-Ring Compounds; Imidazoles; Luminescent Proteins; Naphthalenes; Paraquat; Protein Multimerization; Spectrometry, Fluorescence

The photodimerization of water-insoluble 2-naphthalene-labeled poly(ethyl glycol) (N-Pn-N) in cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) aqueous solution was investigated. UV-vis, fluorescence, and 1H NMR analysis reveal that CB[8] can encapsulate N-Pn-N to make a stable 1:1 inclusion complex N-Pn-N@CB[8] in aqueous solution. Irradiation of N-Pn-N in the CB[8] aqueous solution results in intramolecular photocycloaddition with remarkable selectivity and efficiency, whereas no photodimer could be detected in host-free solution.

Topics: Bridged-Ring Compounds; Cyclization; Dimerization; Imidazoles; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Naphthalenes; Photochemistry; Polyethylene Glycols; Solutions; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Ultraviolet Rays; Water