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A new hemicryptophane host with a ditopic molecular cavity combining a cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) unit with a tris‐urea moiety was synthesized. The complexation of halides, tetramethylammonium (TMA+) cation, and ion pairs was investigated. A positive cooperativity was observed, since halides display a higher binding constant when a TMA+ cation is already present inside the cage. When TMA+ was complexed alone, a decrease of temperature from 298 K to 230 K was required to switch from a fast to a slow exchange regime on the NMR time scale. Nevertheless, the prior complexation of a halide guest in the lower part of the host resulted in significant decrease of the exchange rate of the subsequent complexation of the TMA+ cation. Under these conditions, the 1H NMR signals characteristic of a slow exchange regime were observed at 298 K. Addition of an excess of salts, increases the ionic strength of the solution, restoring the fast exchange dynamics. This result provides insight on how the exchange rate of a cation guest can be modulated by the complexation of a co‐guest anion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of molecular cages with low symmetry could allow for more specific tuning of their properties and better mimic the unsymmetrical and complex environment of protein pockets. However, the added value of lowering symmetry of molecular receptors has been rarely demonstrated. Herein, C3‐ and C1‐symmetrical cages, presenting the same recognition sites, have been synthesized and investigated as hosts for carbohydrate recognition. Structurally related derivatives of glucose, galactose and mannose were found to have greater affinity to the receptor with the lowest symmetry than to their C3‐symmetrical analogue. According to the host cavity modelling, the C1 symmetry receptor exhibits a wider opening than its C3‐symmetrical counterpart, providing easier access and thus promoting guest proximity to binding sites. Moreover, our results show the high stereo‐ and substrate selectivity of the C1 symmetry cage with respect to its C3 counterpart in the recognition of sugars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloazaphosphatranes are the halogenated parents of proazaphosphatranes, also known as Verkade's superbase. While the synthesis of iodo‐, bromo‐ and chloroazaphosphatranes was reported more than thirty years ago by J. G. Verkade, the first synthesis of fluoroazaphosphatranes was only described in 2018 by Stephan et al. Currently, no common and versatile procedure exists to access fluoroazaphosphatranes platform with different structural characteristics. In this report, a new and simple synthesis of this class of compounds was developed based on the nucleophilic attack of the fluoride anion on chloroazaphosphatrane derivatives with good to high isolated yields for the corresponding fluoroazaphosphatranes (70–92%). The scope of the reaction was widened to fluoroazaphosphatranes bearing various substituents and X‐ray molecular structures of two of them are reported. The stability of fluoroazaphosphatranes toward nucleophilic solvents like water has been investigated. As they revealed much more robust cations than their chloroazaphosphatrane parents, their chloride salts were tested as organocatalysts for the formation of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2. Fluoroazaphosphatranes proved to be both efficient and stable catalytic systems for CO2 conversion with catalytic activities similar to those of azaphosphatranes, and no decomposition of the cation was observed at the end of reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verkade's superbases, entrapped in the cavity of enantiopure hemicryptophane cages, have been synthesized with enantiomeric excess (ee) superior to 98%. Their absolute configuration has been determined by using electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. These enantiopure encaged superbases turned out to be efficient chiral derivatizing agents for chiral azides, underlining that the chirality of the cycloveratrylene (CTV) macrocycle induces different magnetic and chemical environments around the phosphazide functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantiopurehemicryptophanes designed from the cyclotriveratrylene(CTV) unit display remarkable properties in selective host–guestrecognition or as supramolecular catalysts. The unprecedented controlof the helical chirality of the CTV unit by remote stereogenic centersof a tren moiety is reported, providing an original access to thishighly promising class of host molecules. Although the chiral centersand the CTV unit are separated by more than 10 Å, one singlediastereomer is formed; the nature of the diastereoselective processis discussed and the procedure is exemplified using different enantiopuretren derivatives. This work also highlights the influence of the chiralityof the CTV unit on the whole cage structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endohedral functionalization of a molecular cage by an azaphosphatrane unit has allowed for the creation of highly engineered catalytic cavities for efficient conversion of CO 2 into cyclic carbonates. Strong structure/activity/stability correlations have been demonstrated by careful adjustment of the size, shape, and electronic properties of the hemicryptophane host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Various N-substituted azaphosphatranes have been prepared and successfully applied to the synthesis of styrene carbonates from CO2 and epoxides. Enhancement of the catalytic properties of the azaphosphatrane was achieved upon pre-organization of the active site through hydrogen-bonding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Enantiopure hemicryptophanes efficiently discriminate chiral ammonium neurotransmitters. The ephedrine and norephedrine molecules associate with hemicryptophane hosts to form 1:1 and 1:2 host-guest complexes. Binding constants are determined by fitting the 1H (NMR) titration curves to give β1 and β2 values, which are used to characterize the diastereomeric and enantiomeric discriminating potentials of the hosts. Chirality 25:47-479, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three azaphosphatranes were used as organocatalysts for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides. They proved to be efficient single-component, metal-free catalysts for the reaction of simple or activated epoxides (styrene oxide, epichlorohydrin, glycidyl methyl ether) with CO2 under mild reaction conditions, displaying high stability and productivity over several days of reaction. Substitution patterns on the catalyst were shown to affect activity and stability. Kinetic analysis allowed investigation of the reaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of molecular cages with low symmetry could allow for more specific tuning of their properties and better mimic the unsymmetrical and complex environment of protein pockets. However, the added value of lowering symmetry of molecular receptors has been rarely demonstrated. Herein, C 3 - and C 1 -symmetrical cages, presenting the same recognition sites, have been synthesized and investigated as hosts for carbohydrate recognition. Structurally related derivatives of glucose, galactose and mannose were found to have greater affinity to the receptor with the lowest symmetry than to their C 3 -symmetrical analogue. According to the host cavity modelling, the C 1 symmetry receptor exhibits a wider opening than its C 3 -symmetrical counterpart, providing easier access and thus promoting guest proximity to binding sites. Moreover, our results show the high stereo- and substrate selectivity of the C 1 symmetry cage with respect to its C 3 counterpart in the recognition of sugars., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The globular and monocationic guest molecule trimethyl-azaphosphatrane (AZAP, a protonated Verkade superbase) was shown to form a host:guest 1 : 1 complex with the cucurbit[10]uril (CB[10]) macrocycle in water. Molecular dynamics calculations showed that CB[10] adopts an 8-shape with AZAP occupying the majority of the internal space, CB[10] contracting around AZAP and leaving a significant part of the cavity unoccupied. This residual space was used to co-include planar and monocationic co-guest (CG) molecules, affording heteroternary CB[10]⋅AZAP⋅CG complexes potentially opening new perspectives in supramolecular chemistry., (© 2022 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Haloazaphosphatranes are the halogenated parents of proazaphosphatranes, also known as Verkade's superbase. While the synthesis of iodo-, bromo- and chloroazaphosphatranes was reported more than thirty years ago by J. G. Verkade, the first synthesis of fluoroazaphosphatranes was only described in 2018 by Stephan et al. Currently, no common and versatile procedure exists to access fluoroazaphosphatranes platform with different structural characteristics. In this report, a new and simple synthesis of this class of compounds was developed based on the nucleophilic attack of the fluoride anion on chloroazaphosphatrane derivatives with good to high isolated yields for the corresponding fluoroazaphosphatranes (70-92%). The scope of the reaction was widened to fluoroazaphosphatranes bearing various substituents and X-ray molecular structures of two of them are reported. The stability of fluoroazaphosphatranes toward nucleophilic solvents like water has been investigated. As they revealed much more robust cations than their chloroazaphosphatrane parents, their chloride salts were tested as organocatalysts for the formation of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO 2 . Fluoroazaphosphatranes proved to be both efficient and stable catalytic systems for CO 2 conversion with catalytic activities similar to those of azaphosphatranes, and no decomposition of the cation was observed at the end of reaction., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Two new hemicryptophanes combining a cyclotriveratrylene unit with either an aminotrisamide or a tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) moiety have been synthesized. Although a conventional synthesis approach was used, the molecular cages obtained are devoid of the expected C 3 symmetry. NMR analyses and X-ray crystal structure determination showed that these hemicryptophanes exhibited C 1 symmetry due to the unusual arrangement of the substituents of the cyclotriveratrylene unit. This unprecedented arrangement is related to a change in the regioselectivity of the Friedel-Crafts reactions that led to the CTV cap. This constitutes an original approach to access enantiopure chiral molecular cages with low symmetry.

We report on the synthesis of C 3 -symmetric enantiopure cage molecules 1 , which exhibit remarkable to exclusive enantioselective recognition properties toward chiral ammonium neurotransmitters. Strong changes in the substrate selectivity are also observed when different stereoisomers of 1 are used. Furthermore, protonation/deprotonation induces a reversible modification of the conformation of 1 , which switches from an imploded to an inflated form, leading to ejection and reuptake of the guest initially encaged inside the cavity.