Rafał Frydrych

Two viologen-like macrocyclic receptors, [1]²⁺ and [2]²⁺, merging a bent oligophenylene loop with a (para-xylylene)bispyridinium moiety were designed and synthesized. Both dications were derived from the same precursor: the more strained cycloparaphenylene analogue [1]²⁺ was obtained using a reductive aromatization, whereas the less curved, meta-phenylene-containing [2]²⁺ was generated using a double eliminative rearrangement. [1]²⁺ is active as a receptor toward pyrene-1,3,6,8-tetrasulfonate, displaying a 2:1 binding interaction, with K₁₁ = 7.4(3) × 10³ M⁻¹. In the solid state, [1][TFA]₂ shows differential sorption of C₆ hydrocarbons and shows reversible sorption of water. [1]²⁺ displays yellow emission in solution (λ_em,max = 544 nm in DMF), which is considerably red shifted in the solid state (λ_em,max = 644 nm for dry samples). Both [1]²⁺ and [2]²⁺ undergo electrochemical reduction, yielding transient viologen-like radical cations and diradicals.

A hybrid nanocarbon receptor consisting of a calix[4]arene and a bent oligophenylene loop (“molecular squid”), was obtained in an efficient, scalable synthesis. The system contains an electron-rich cavity with an adaptable shape, which can serve as a host for electron deficient guests, such as diquat, 10-methylacridinium, and anthraquinone. The new receptor forms inclusion complexes in the solid state and in solution, showing a dependence of the observed binding strength on the shape of the guest species and its charge. The interaction with the methylacridinium cation in solution was interpreted in terms of a 2:1 binding model, with K₁₁ = 5.92(7) × 10³ M⁻¹. The solid receptor is porous to gases and vapors, yielding an uptake of ca. 4 mmol/g for methanol at 293 K. In solution, the receptor shows cyan fluorescence (λ_max,em = 485 nm, Φ_F = 33%), which is partly quenched upon binding of guests. Methylacridinium and anthraquinone adducts show red-shifted emission in the solid state, attributable to the charge-transfer character of these inclusion complexes.