1
(232 mg, 91%) as a yellow powder. H NMR (600 MHz, C6D6)
d 1.05–1.15 (m, 1H); 1.17–1.30 (m, 5H); 1.55–1.76 (m, 4H); 2.31
(tt, J = 11.4, 3.0 Hz, 1H); 5.73 (s, 2H); 7.08 (d, J = 8.4 Hz,
2H); 7.34 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 2H); 13C NMR (150 MHz, C6D6) d
26.3; 27.1; 34.6; 44.4; 126.0; 128.3; 130.0; 133.1; 147.4; 169.2;
ESI-HRMS m/z: calcd for C16H17NO2 (M + H+) 256.1332; found
256.1337.
Conclusions
Cavitand 1 is capable of binding species bearing aliphatic binding
handles and reactive maleimide groups, then activating them to-
wards Diels–Alder reaction with suitable dienes through hydrogen
bonding. The region of secondary amides is permanently located
at the cavitand rim, and only simple rotations are needed to bring
these hydrogen bonds to bear on the reactants held temporarily
inside. These amides are not the conventional complements
to imides but they are there in number and cannot diffuse
away.14 On cycloaddition the increase in steric bulk lowers the
binding affinity of product with respect to reactant and reduces
product inhibition, in some cases completely. Further studies on
supramolecular effects on reaction promotion and catalysis are
currently underway.
Decyl (1E,3E)-penta-1,3-dienylcarbamate 3
A 250 mL three-necked flask equipped with a thermometer,
magnetic stirrer and dropping funnel was placed under an
argon atmosphere and charged with trans-2,4-hexadienoic acid
(5.00 g, 44.6 mmol), N,Nꢀ-diisopropylethylamine (7.15 g, 9.63 mL,
55.3 mmol), and acetone (50 mL), then cooled to 0 ◦C. A solution
of methyl chloroformate (4.21 g, 3.43 mL, 44.6 mmol) in acetone
(30 mL) was added over 30 min, keeping the temperature at
Experimental
0
◦C. The solution was stirred for 30 min at 0 ◦C, followed by
addition of sodium azide (89.2 mmol, 5.80 g) in water (30 mL).
After 15 min additional stirring, the mixture was poured into
ice water (200 mL). The product was extracted with toluene
(5 × 50 mL), dried (MgSO4) and the solvent removed by rotary
evaporation until ∼30 mL solvent remains. This solution of acyl
azide was added over 30 min to a stirred solution of 1-decanol
(35.7 mmol, 5.65 g, 6.80 mL) and tert-butyl catechol (25 mg) in
dry toluene (1◦00 mL) at reflux. After 30 min reflux, the solution was
cooled to 23 C and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation.
The product was rapidly recrystallized from ethyl acetate to give
carbamate 3 as a white solid (7.2 g, 60%), which was immediately
placed under an argon atmosphere and stored in the dark at −5 ◦C.
1H NMR (600 MHz, C6D5CD3) d 0.91 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H); 1.14–
1.30 (m, 15H); 1.41–1.48 (m, 2H); 1.61 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 3H); 3.96
(t, J = 6.6 Hz, 2H); 5.01 (dd, J = 7.2, 5.4 Hz, 1H); 5.29 (dq, J =
7.2, 6.6 Hz, 1H); 5.45 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 1H); 5.66 (dd, J = 7.2 Hz,
5.4 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (150 MHz, CD2Cl2) d 14.5; 18.4; 23.3; 26.4;
29.5 (two overlapping peaks); 29.8; 29.9; 30.1; 32.5; 66.2; 111.9;
125.2; 125.8; 129.2; 154.2; ESI-HRMS m/z: calcd for C16H29NO2
(M + H+) 268.2271; found 268.2275.
1H and 13C NMR spectra were recorded on an Avance Bruker
DRX-600 spectrometer with a 5 mm QNP probe. Proton (1H)
chemical shifts are reported in parts per million (d) with respect
to tetramethylsilane (TMS, d = 0), and referenced internally with
respect to the monoprotio solvent impurity. Deuterated NMR
solvents were obtained from Cambridge Isotope Laboratories,
Inc., Andover, MA, and used without further purification. ESI-
HRMS data were recorded on an Agilent Electrospray TOF
Mass Spectrometer. Melting points were recorded on a Thomas-
Hoover capillary melting point apparatus. Maleimides 4–7,2f
cavitand 16b and trans-2,4-hexadienoic acid15 were synthesized
according to published procedures. 9-Anthracenemethanol 2,
acetanilide and synthesis precursors were obtained from Sigma-
Aldrich Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO and used as received.
4-Cyclohexylaniline was obtained from Alfa Aesar, Ward Hill,
MA. Molecular modeling (molecular mechanics calculations) was
carried out using the AMBER force field16 with the solvation
(dielectric) setting for water as implemented by Macromodel
(Schro¨dinger, Inc.) on a Silicon Graphics Octane workstation.
N-(4-Cyclohexylphenyl)-maleimide 8
Representative procedure for independent synthesis of products
9–13
Maleic anhydride (150 mg, 1.25 mmol) was added to a 50 mL
round-bottomed flask equipped with a magnetic stirbar followed
by anhydrous ether (10 mL). 4-Cyclohexylaniline (200 mg,
1.14 mmol) was added dropwise via syringe and the mixture stirred
for 3 h, yielding a yellow precipitate of N-(4-cyclohexyl)-maleamic
acid, which was isolated by suction filtration and used in the next
step without further purification. N-(4-Cyclohexyl)-maleamic acid
(250 mg, 0.91 mmol) was added to a 10 mL round-bottomed
flask equipped with a magnetic stirbar and condenser. Acetic
anhydride (2.5 mL) and sodium acetate (2.22 mmol, 224 mg, 449
lL) were added and the mixture was heated at 100 ◦C for 6 h,
then cooled to room temperature. Ether (50 mL) and saturated
aqueous ammonium chloride (20 mL) were added, and the mixture
transferred to a separatory funnel. The layers were separated,
and the aqueous layer extracted with ether (3 × 10 mL). The
organic fractions were combined and washed with saturated brine
(20 mL) and water (20 mL), dried (MgSO4), filtered and the solvent
removed by rotary evaporation. Column chromatography (SiO2;
hexanes–ether 9 : 1) gave N-(4-cyclohexylphenyl)-maleamide 8
Maleimide (0.2 mmol), 9-anthracenemethanol (0.2 mmol) and
anhydrous toluene (5 mL) were added to a 25 mL round-bottomed
flask equipped with magnetic stirrer and reflux condenser. The
mixture was heated at 100 ◦C for 6 h, then cooled to room
temperature and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation. The
crude product was purified by column chromatography (SiO2;
CH2Cl2–MeOH).
Adduct 9
Synthesized using the above proce◦dure from adamantyl-
1
maleimide 4 in 89% yield, mp 283–284 C. H NMR (600 MHz,
C6D6) d 1.38 (d, J = 12.0 Hz, 3H); 1.49 (d, J = 12.0 Hz, 3H);
1.83 (s, 3H); 2.09 (s, 6H); 2.61 (m, 1H); 2.63 (dd, J = 8.4, 3.6 Hz,
1H); 2.74 (d, J = 8.4 Hz, 1H); 4.59 (d, J = 3.6 Hz, 1H); 4.75
(dd, J = 12.0, 6.0 Hz, 1H); 5.01 (dd, J = 12.0, 6.0 Hz, 1H); 6.89–
6.94 (m, 3H); 6.97–7.03 (m, 2H); 7.07–7.16 (m, 2H); 7.57 (d, J =
7.8 Hz, 1H); 13C NMR (150 MHz, CD2Cl2) d 30.1; 36.4; 39.2;
3634 | Org. Biomol. Chem., 2007, 5, 3631–3636
This journal is
The Royal Society of Chemistry 2007
©