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A series of D2‐symmetric macrocycles composed of alternately linked pyrene and binaphthyl moieties (binaphthyl‐bridged pyrenophanes) have been synthesized. Among them, a pyrenophane possessing ether linkers at the 2,7‐positions of the pyrenes exhibited intense circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with a |glum| value of 0.053. This value is by far the highest for excimers and was not sensitive to temperature, solvent, or concentration. The CPL originated from a twisting pyrene excimer, with the (R)‐binaphthyl moieties producing a left‐handed twist excimer, which exhibited (−)‐CPL. The electric and magnetic transition dipole moments are perfectly parallel, which is the best relationship for strong CPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unique self‐assembled macrocyclic multinuclear ZnII and NiII complexes with binaphthyl‐bipyridyl ligands (L) were synthesized. X‐ray analysis revealed that these complexes consisted of an outer ring (Zn3L3 or Ni3L3) and an inner core (Zn2 or Ni). In the ZnII complex, the inner Zn2 part rotated rapidly inside the outer ring in solution on an NMR timescale. These complexes exhibited dual catalytic activities for CO2 fixations: synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2 and temperature‐switched N‐formylation/N‐methylation of amines with CO2 and hydrosilane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly active bifunctional diporphyrin and triporphyrin catalysts were synthesized through Stille coupling reactions. As compared with a porphyrin monomer, both exhibited improved catalytic activities for the reaction of CO2 with epoxides to form cyclic carbonates, because of the multiple catalytic sites which cooperatively activate the epoxide. Catalytic activities were carefully investigated by controlling temperature, reaction time, and catalyst loading, and very high turnover number and turnover frequency were obtained: 220 000 and 46 000 h−1, respectively, for the magnesium catalyst, and 310 000 and 40 000 h−1, respectively, for the zinc catalyst. Results obtained with a zinc/free-base hybrid diporphyrin catalyst demonstrated that the Br− ions on the adjacent porphyrin moiety also function as nucleophiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]