Synthesis of an Acid–Base Switchable Molecular Handcuff
Compound 10: A mixture of compound 9 (1.36 g, 1.79 mmol), p-
hydroxybenzaldehyde (0.44 g, 3.58 mmol), and K2CO3 (1.48 g,
10.8 mmol) in anhydrous CH3CN (50 mL) was heated at reflux un-
der an argon atmosphere for 16 h. After cooling to room tempera-
ture, the reaction mixture was filtered and the solid was washed
with CH3CN (30 mL). The combined organic filtrate was concen-
trated, and crude compound 10 was then dissolved in dichloro-
methane (80 mL), washed with dilute HCl, and dried with MgSO4.
Solvents were removed under reduced pressure, and the crude prod-
uct was purified by column chromatography (CH2Cl2/ethyl acetate,
10:1) to afford 10 (1.18 g, 100%) as a white solid. M.p. 94–96 °C.
1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3, 25 °C): δ = 9.86 (s, 2 H, CHO), 7.80
(d, J = 8.8 Hz, 4 H, ArH), 7.44 (d, J = 8.8 Hz, 4 H, ArH), 7.00 (d,
J = 8.7 Hz, 4 H, ArH), 6.95 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 4 H, ArH), 4.24–4.11
(m, 8 H, OCH2CH2O), 3.89 (m, 8 H, OCH2CH2O), 3.76 (s, 8 H,
OCH2CH2O) ppm. 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3, 25 °C): δ = 190.7,
163.9, 157.9, 133.6, 131.9, 130.1, 127.6, 114.9, 114.9, 71.0, 70.9,
69.9, 69.5, 67.8, 67.6 ppm. MS (MALDI-TOF): m/z = 658.6 [M]+,
681.6 [M + Na]+, 697.5 [M + K]+. C38H42O10 (658.28): calcd. C
69.29, H 6.43; found C 69.16, H 6.34.
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[2]
[3]
[4]
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[6]
Compound 4: A solution of 10 (1.18 g, 1.8 mmol) and benzylamine
(0.385 g, 3.6 mmol) in toluene (60 mL) was stirred at reflux in a
Dean–Stark apparatus for 12 h. After cooling the mixture to room
temperature, the solvent was removed in vacuo, and the residue was
added to a solution of NaBH4 (1.36 g, 36 mmol) in THF (40 mL).
Methanol (20 mL) was added in small portions to the reaction mix-
ture, which was heated at reflux with stirring for 8 h. It was then
allowed to cool and dilute HCl was added (pH Ͻ 2). After evapora-
tion of the solvent, the residue was suspended in H2O (60 mL) and
extracted with dichloromethane (4ϫ50 mL). The combined extract
was washed with 5% aqueous NaHCO3 (2ϫ50 mL) and H2O
(50 mL) and then dried with MgSO4. Removal of the solvent under
vacuum afforded a pale solid, which was dissolved in methanol
(50 mL). Concentrated HCl was added (pH Ͻ 2), and the reaction
mixture was stirred for 5 h. Evaporation of the solvent afforded a
pale solid, which was suspended in acetone (40 mL). An aqueous
solution of NH4PF6 was added until dissolution occurred. Evapo-
ration of acetone afforded compound 4 as a white solid, which was
isolated, washed with H2O, and dried in vacuo (1.8 g, 88%). M.p.
98–100 °C. 1H NMR (300 MHz, [D6]acetone, 25 °C): δ = 8.43 (s, 4
H, NH2), 7.86–7.22 (m, 18 H, ArH), 7.01 (dd, J = 8.7, 6.4 Hz, 8
H, ArH), 4.57 (d, J = 8.8 Hz, 8 H, OCH2CH2O), 4.30–4.08 (m, 8
H, OCH2CH2O), 3.84 (m, 8 H, OCH2CH2O), 3.70 (s, 8 H, OCH2-
CH2O) ppm. 13C NMR (75 MHz, [D6]acetone, 25 °C): δ = 161.0,
159.1, 134.1, 132.7, 132.0, 131.0, 130.5, 130.0, 128.3, 123.8, 115.9,
115.8, 71.5, 70.4, 70.3, 68.6, 68.5, 52.4, 52.3 ppm. MS (MALDI-
TOF): m/z = 841.6 [M – H – 2PF6]+. C52H62F12N2O8P2 (1132.38):
calcd. C 55.12, H 5.52, N 2.47; found C 55.37, H 5.50, N 2.37.
[7]
[8]
[9]
CCDC-744055 (for 1·34) contains the supplementary crystallo-
graphic data for this paper. These data can be obtained free of
charge from The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre via
www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/data_request/cif.
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1072.
Supporting Information (see footnote on the first page of this arti-
1
1
cle): H NMR and 13C NMR spectra of new compounds; H–1H
1
1
COSY, H NMR titration and variable-temperature H NMR ex-
periments; mass spectra (ESI) of complexes 1·34 and 1·42.
Acknowledgments
We thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China
(20625206, 20772126), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and National
Basic Research Program (2007CB808004) for financial support.
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2010, 5056–5062
© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
www.eurjoc.org
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