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This paper describes the self-assembly of a new class of three-component dynamic [2]catenanes, which are driven or stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, coordination, and electrostatic interaction. One of the component molecules 2, consisting of an aromatic oligoamide spacer and two peripheral zinc porphyrin units, was designed to adopt a folded preorganized conformation, which is stabilized by consecutive intramolecular three-centered hydrogen bonds. Component molecule 3 is a linear secondary ammonium bearing two peripheral pyridine units, which was designed to form a 1:1 complex with 24-crown-8 (5). The 1H NMR and UV-vis experiments in CDCl3-CD3CN (4:1 v/v) revealed that, due to the preorganized U-shaped feature, 2 could efficiently bind 3 through the cooperative zinc-pyridine coordination to generate highly stable 1:1 complex 2.3. Adding 5 to the 1:1 solution of 2 and 3 led to the formation of dynamic three-component [2]catenane 2.3.5 as a result of the threading of 3 through 5. 1H NMR studies indicated that in the 1:1:1 solution (3 mM) [2]catenane 2.3.5 was generated in 55% yield at 25 degrees C. The yield was increased with the reduction of the temperature and [2]catenane could be produced quantitatively in a 1:1:2 solution ([2]=3 mM) at -13 degrees C. Replacing 3 with 1,2-bis(4,4'-bipyridinium)ethane (4) in the three-component solution could also give rise to similar dynamic [2]catenane 2.4.5 albeit in slightly lower yield.

Several pentaerythritol-derived oligoglycols 1 with free hydroxyl groups are readily prepared by a convergent approach. Quantitative (13)C NMR proves to be an efficient tool for the characterization of oligoglycols. The corresponding telluride of oligoglycol 17 is synthesized and used as a good catalyst for Wittig-type reactions in preparing both disubstituted and trisubstituted olefins in good to high yields.

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitutions using thioether and phosphino derivatives of ferrocenyloxazoline as ligands have been investigated with a focus on studying the role of planar chirality. In allylic alkylation, up to 98% ee and 95% ee were achieved with S,N- and P,N-ligands, respectively. In allylic amination, 97% ee was realized with P,N-ligands in the presence of TBAF. Several palladium allylic complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction and/or solution NMR. Thioether derivatives of ferrocenyloxazolines with only planar chirality showed lower enantioselectivity in the allylic alkylation except 5c because of the formation of a new chirality on sulfur atom during the coordination of sulfur with palladium. On the other hand, in the planar chiral P,N-ligands without central chirality, (Sp)-11a-c there was no such disturbance and comparatively higher enantioselectivity in both palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation and amination was provided.

Soluble poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-supported telluride 2 was designed and synthesized for catalytic Wittig-type reactions. It was found that the catalytic loading could be reduced from 20 to 2 mol % by the introduction of PEG (even to 0.5 mol % when some telluride salts were used as the catalyst). Under the catalytic reaction conditions, a wide variety of aldehydes with different structures could react with bromoacetate to afford beta-substituted or alpha,beta-disubstituted unsaturated esters in high yields with excellent E-stereoselectivity. The modified process, by using sodium bisulfite instead of triphenyl phosphite, represented a very simple product isolation procedure. The roles of PEG for promoting the ylide formation and stabilizing the catalytic species were disclosed. The mechanism was also studied.