Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to JF Stoddart.
The template-directed synthesis of a [2]rotaxane, in which a pi-electron deficient ring component-cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene)-is assembled around a pi-electron rich asymmetric monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene unit on the rod section of an amphiphilic dumbbell component that is terminated by a hydrophilic dendritic stopper at one end and a hydrophobic tetraarylmethane stopper at the other end, is reported.
A molecular-level abacus-like system driven by light inputs has been designed in the form of a [2]rotaxane, comprising the pi-electron-donating macrocyclic polyether bis-p-phenylene-34-crown-10 (BPP34C10) and a dumbbell-shaped component that contains 1) a Ru(II) polypyridine complex as one of its stoppers in the form of a photoactive unit, 2) a p-terphenyl-type ring system as a rigid spacer, 3) a 4,4'-bipyridinium unit and a 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium unit as pi-electron-accepting stations, and 4) a tetraarylmethane group as the second stopper. The synthesis of the [2]rotaxane was accomplished in four successive stages. First of all, the dumbbell-shaped component of the [2]rotaxane was constructed by using conventional synthetic methodology to make 1) the so-called "west-side" comprised of the Ru(II) polypyridine complex linked by a bismethylene spacer to the p-terphenyl-type ring system terminated by a benzylic bromomethyl function and 2) the so-called "east-side" comprised of the tetraarylmethane group, attached by a polyether linkage to the bipyridinium unit, itself joined in turn by a trismethylene spacer to an incipient 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium unit. Next, 3) the "west-side" and "east-side" were fused together by means of an alkylation to give the dumbbell-shaped compound, which was 4) finally subjected to a thermodynamically driven slippage reaction, with BPP34C10 as the ring, to afford the [2]rotaxane. The structure of this interlocked molecular compound was characterized by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy, which also established, along with cyclic voltammetry, the co-conformational behavior of the molecular shuttle. The stable translational isomer is the one in which the BPP34C10 component encircles the 4,4'-bipyridinium unit, in keeping with the fact that this station is a better pi-electron acceptor than the other station. This observation raises the question- can the BPP34C10 macrocycle be made to shuttle between the two stations by a sequence of photoinduced electron transfer processes? In order to find an answer to this question, the electrochemical, photophysical, and photochemical (under continuous and pulsed excitation) properties of the [2]rotaxane, its dumbbell-shaped component, and some model compounds containing electro- and photoactive units have been investigated. In an attempt to obtain the photoinduced abacus-like movement of the BPP34C10 macrocycle between the two stations, two strategies have been employed-one was based fully on processes that involved only the rotaxane components (intramolecular mechanism), while the other one required the help of external reactants (sacrificial mechanism). Both mechanisms imply a sequence of four steps (destabilization of the stable translational isomer, macrocyclic ring displacement, electronic reset, and nuclear reset) that have to compete with energy-wasteful steps. The results have demonstrated that photochemically driven switching can be performed successfully by the sacrificial mechanism, whereas, in the case of the intramolecular mechanism, it would appear that the electronic reset of the system is faster than the ring displacement.
The miniaturization of components used in the construction of working devices is being pursued currently by the large-downward (top-down) fabrication. This approach, however, which obliges solid-state physicists and electronic engineers to manipulate progressively smaller and smaller pieces of matter, has its intrinsic limitations. An alternative approach is a small-upward (bottom-up) one, starting from the smallest compositions of matter that have distinct shapes and unique properties-namely molecules. In the context of this particular challenge, chemists have been extending the concept of a macroscopic machine to the molecular level. A molecular-level machine can be defined as an assembly of a distinct number of molecular components that are designed to perform machinelike movements (output) as a result of an appropriate external stimulation (input). In common with their macroscopic counterparts, a molecular machine is characterized by 1) the kind of energy input supplied to make it work, 2) the nature of the movements of its component parts, 3) the way in which its operation can be monitored and controlled, 4) the ability to make it repeat its operation in a cyclic fashion, 5) the timescale needed to complete a full cycle of movements, and 6) the purpose of its operation. Undoubtedly, the best energy inputs to make molecular machines work are photons or electrons. Indeed, with appropriately chosen photochemically and electrochemically driven reactions, it is possible to design and synthesize molecular machines that do work. Moreover, the dramatic increase in our fundamental understanding of self-assembly and self-organizational processes in chemical synthesis has aided and abetted the construction of artificial molecular machines through the development of new methods of noncovalent synthesis and the emergence of supramolecular assistance to covalent synthesis as a uniquely powerful synthetic tool. The aim of this review is to present a unified view of the field of molecular machines by focusing on past achievements, present limitations, and future perspectives. After analyzing a few important examples of natural molecular machines, the most significant developments in the field of artificial molecular machines are highlighted. The systems reviewed include 1) chemical rotors, 2) photochemically and electrochemically induced molecular (conformational) rearrangements, and 3) chemically, photochemically, and electrochemically controllable (co-conformational) motions in interlocked molecules (catenanes and rotaxanes), as well as in coordination and supramolecular complexes, including pseudorotaxanes. Artificial molecular machines based on biomolecules and interfacing artificial molecular machines with surfaces and solid supports are amongst some of the cutting-edge topics featured in this review. The extension of the concept of a machine to the molecular level is of interest not only for the sake of basic research, but also for the growth of nanoscience and the subsequent development of nanotechnology.
A solid state, electronically addressable, bistable [2]catenane-based molecular switching device was fabricated from a single monolayer of the [2]catenane, anchored with phospholipid counterions, and sandwiched between an n-type polycrystalline silicon bottom electrode and a metallic top electrode. The device exhibits hysteretic (bistable) current/voltage characteristics. The switch is opened at +2 volts, closed at -2 volts, and read at approximately 0.1 volt and may be recycled many times under ambient conditions. A mechanochemical mechanism for the action of the switch is presented and shown to be consistent with temperature-dependent measurements of the device operation.
A cyclophane incorporating one 1,5-dioxynaphthalene ring system and one tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit bridged by [SCH(2)CH(2)O] linkages has been synthesized. In this cyclophane, the TTF unit can adopt either cis or trans configurations. In addition, the 1, 5-dioxynaphthalene ring system imposes one element of planar chirality on this cyclophane. A second element of planar chirality is introduced by the trans form of the TTF unit. Thus, the cyclophane exists in diastereoisomeric forms as three pairs of enantiomers. The enantiomeric pairs associated with the cis form of the TTF unit, as well as one of those associated with the trans form, have been isolated by crystallization, and their structures assigned in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray analyses. In solution, cis/trans isomerization occurs when either the cis or the trans form of the cyclophane is exposed to light. The photoisomerization reaction can be followed by (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies, as well as by HPLC. The photoisomerization quantum yield has been measured at two different excitation wavelengths (406 and 313 nm). In both cases, the trans --> cis process (Phi = 0.20 at 406 nm) is much more efficient than the reverse cis --> trans process (Phi = 0.030 at 406 nm). Since the absorption spectra of the trans and cis isomers are different and the quantum yield of the trans --> cis photoisomerization reaction depends on the excitation wavelength, the mole fraction of the two diastereoisomers present at the photostationary state depends on the wavelength of the exciting light. No isomerization occurs when the solutions, regardless of the mole fraction of the two diastereoisomers, are stored in the dark.
Three [3]catenanes with cavities large enough to accommodate aromatic guests have been designed and synthesized (yields = 5-20 %) by means of kinetically controlled self-assembly processes. The X-ray structural analysis of one of three [3]catenanes confirmed the presence of a rectangular cavity (dimensions = 7 x 11 A) lined by pi-electron-rich recognition sites and hydrogen-bond acceptor groups. In spite of their apparently ideal recognition features, none of these [3]catenanes bind guests incorporating a pi-electron-deficient bipyridinium unit. However, the template-directed syntheses of the [3]catenanes also produce, in yields of 2-23%, [2]catenanes incorporating a 1,5-dioxynaphtho[38]crown-10 interlocked with a bipyridinium-based tetracationic cyclophane. The X-ray structural analyses of two of these [2]catenanes revealed that a combination of [pi...pi] and [C-H...pi] interactions is responsible for the formation of supramolecular homodimers in the solid state. 1H NMR spectroscopic investigations of the four [2]catenanes demonstrated that supramolecular homodimers are also formed (Ka= 17-31M(-1), T= 185 K) in (CD3)2CO solutions. Dynamic 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed that the 1,5-dioxynaphtho[38]crown-10 and tetracationic cyclophane components in the four [2]catenanes and in the three [3]catenanes circumrotate (deltaGc(not equal to) = 9-14 kcal mol(-1)) through each other's cavity in (CD3)2CO. Similarly, the 1,5-dioxynaphthalene and the bipyridinium ring systems rotate (deltaGc(not equal to) =10-14 kcal mol(-1)) about their [O...O] and [N...N] axes, respectively, in solution.
Secondary dialkylammonium (R2NH2+) ions are bound readily by dibenzo[24]crown-8 (DB24C8) to form threaded complexes, namely [2]pseudo-rotaxanes. The effect of replacing one or both of the catechol rings in DB24C8 with resorcinol rings upon the crown ether's ability to bind R2NH2+ ions has now been investigated. When only one aromatic ring is changed from catechol to resorcinol, a crown ether with a [25]crown-8 constitution is created-namely benzometaphenylene[25]crown-8 (BMP25C8). A [2]pseudorotaxane is formed in the solid state when BMP25C8 is co-crystallized with dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate, as evidenced by its X-ray crystal structure. Furthermore, this crown ether has been shown to bind R2NH2+ ions in solution, an observation which has been exploited in the synthesis of the first BMP25C8-containing [2]rotaxane. The methodology employed to generate this [2]rotaxane--the reaction of an amine with an isocyanate to form a urea--was tested initially on a system incorporating DB24C8 and was shown to work efficiently. Both [2]rotaxanes have been fully characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, FAB mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, the unsymmetrical nature of the dumbbell-shaped component in each of the two [2]rotaxanes renders each face of the encircling macrocyclic polyether diastereotopic, a feature that is apparent upon inspection of their 1H NMR spectra. The resonances associated with the diastereotopic protons on each face of the macrorings are well enough resolved to enable the faces of the crown ethers to be readily identified with respect to their protons by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Unambiguous assignments can be made as a result of the fact that the protons on each face of the macrocyclic polyether experience a unique set of through-space interactions, as evidenced by T-ROESY experiments. Additionally, the two-dimensional NMR analyses are in agreement with the X-ray crystallographic studies performed on these [2]rotaxanes, indicating that the crown ethers are located intimately around the NH2+ centers as expected. Replacement of both catechol rings in the DB24C8 constitution with resorcinol rings results in a crown ether with a [26]crown-8 constitution--namely bismetaphenylene[26]crown-8 (BMP26CS). All the evidence to date points to the fact that this further change in constitution results in a crown ether that does not bind R2NH2+ ions in either the solution or solid states.
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[formula: see text] A tritopic receptor, in which three benzo[24]crown-8 macrorings are fused onto a triphenylene core, forms very strong supramolecular bundle-like complexes in CDCl3/CD3CN solution with trifurcated trications wherein three dibenzylammonium ions are linked to a central benzenoid core. The triply threaded superbundles, one of which has been characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography, dissociate completely via doubly and singly threaded intermediates when CD3SOCD3 is added progressively to the CDCl3/CD3CN solution.
[formula: see text] New unsymmetrically substituted DB24C8-phthalocyanines, which are able to form complexes with suitable dialkylammonium cations, have been prepared. These complexes most probably have a pseudorotaxane geometry.
Two new [2]rotaxane-based molecular shuttles, in which a mechanically bound dibenzo[24]crown-8 (DB24C8) macroring shunts back and forth between two dialkylammonium recognition sites situated on a chemical dumbbell, have been constructed by a novel synthetic strategy that relies upon the use of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protecting group. During the syntheses of both molecular shuttles, this protecting group masks a dialkylammonium recognition center which is liberated only after the [2]rotaxane constitution is established. In both cases, the molecular shuttles' other dialkylammonium center is essential for the rotaxane-forming reactions and it ensures that DB24C8 is interpenetrated by threadlike precursors, as a result of noncovalent bonding interactions, to produce [2]pseudorotaxanes which are stoppered subsequently through 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions between azides and bulky acetylenedicarboxylates. The new molecular shuttles have been examined by means of dynamic 1H NMR spectroscopy, which reveals that the movements of the DB24C8 macroring are very highly dependent both on solvent properties and on the nature of the spacer unit linking the two dialkylammonium centers. Thus, DB24C8 shunts facilely between the dialkylammonium centers when the shuttles are dissolved in solvents that readily donate their nonbonding electrons into noncovalent bonds, e.g., DMF, and when spacer units that do not offer much steric resistance to shuttling, e.g., hexamethylene, are used. On the other hand, shuttling is difficult in solvents that are less inclined to donate their electrons into noncovalent bonds, e.g., (CDCl2)2, and when relatively bulky benzenoid spacer units, e.g., p-xylylene, link the two dialkylammonium centers. It has been proposed that the DB24C8 might act as a "ferry" which carries a proton between dialkylammonium and dialkylamine moieties in a singly protonated [2]rotaxane by means of ion-dipole interactions.
The tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-4,4'-biphenylene), binds 1,1'-disubstituted ferrocene-based polyethers as a result of (i) [pi...pi] stacking between the pi-electron-deficient bipyridinium units and the pi-electron-rich cyclopentadienyl rings and (ii) [C-H...O] hydrogen bonds between the alpha-bipyridinium hydrogen atoms and the polyether oxygen atoms. However, even the presence of a bulky tetraarylmethane group--which is too large to thread through the cavity of the cyclophane host--at the end of each of the two polyether substituents of the ferrocene-containing guest does not discourage adduct formation of the inclusion type. Thus, in these adducts, the ferrocene unit of the guest is located inside the cavity of the host with its two polyether chains protruding outward from the same side of the host. The alternative pseudorotaxane geometry is not observed in solutions of these 1:1 adducts. The host-guest adducts display absorption bands in the visible spectral region, characteristic of charge-transfer interactions. In the case of one of these adducts, reversible decomplexation/recomplexation takes place upon electrochemical oxidation/reduction of the ferrocene-based unit or upon reduction/oxidation of the tetracationic cyclophane.
An acyclic polyether 1a, incorporating a central tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) electron donor unit and two 4-tert-butylphenoxy groups at its termini, has been synthesized. Two macrocyclic polyethers containing two different electron donors, namely a TTF unit with, in one case, a 1,4-dioxybenzene ring (2a), and, in the other case (2b), a 1,5-dioxynaphthalene ring system, have also been synthesized. These two macrocyclic polyethers have been mechanically interlocked in kinetically controlled template-directed syntheses with cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) cyclophane (3(4+)) to afford the [2]catenanes 2a/3(4+) and 2b/3(4+), respectively. X-ray crystallography reveals that the [2]-catenane 2b/3(4+) has the TTF unit of 2b located inside the cavity of 3(4+). The spectroscopic (UV/vis and 1H NMR) and electrochemical properties of compounds 1a, 2a, 2b, 2a/3(4+), and 2b/3(4+) and of the [2]pseudorotaxane 1a.3(4+) were investigated. The absorption and emission properties of the mono- and dioxidized forms of the TTF unit in these various species have also been studied. The results obtained in acetonitrile solution can be summarized as follows. (a) While TTF2+ exhibits a strong fluorescence, no emission can be observed for the TTF2+ units contained in the polyethers and in their pseudorotaxanes and catenanes. (b) A donor-acceptor absorption band is observed upon two-electron oxidation of the TTF unit in the macrocyclic polyethers 2a and 2b. (c) The spontaneous self-assembly of 1a and 3(4+) to give the [2]pseudorotaxane 1a.3(4+) is strongly favored (Kass. = 5 x 10(5) L mol-1) but slow (at 296 K, k = 11.3 L mol-1 s-1 and delta G++ = 15.9 kcal mol-1) because of the steric hindrance associated with the bulky end groups of 1a. (d) In the pseudorotaxane 1a.3(4+), the reversible displacement of the cyclophane from the TTF unit in the threadlike substrate occurs on oxidation/reduction of its electroactive components. (e) Switching between the two translational isomers of the catenanes 2a/3(4+) and 2b/3(4+) occurs by cyclic oxidation and reduction of the TTF unit contained in 2a and in 2b, respectively. (f) Addition of o-chloroanil to the pseudorotaxane 1a.3(4+) and to the catenanes 2a/3(4+) and 2b/3(4+) causes the displacement of the TTF unit from the cavity of the cyclophane 3(4+) because of the formation of an adduct between the TTF unit and o-chloroanil.
Two ammonium ion/crown ether-based [2]rotaxane monomers-each incorporating (i) a dumbbell-shaped component, possessing an exchangeable benzylic triphenylphosphonium stopper, and (ii) a ring component, bearing an aldehyde function-undergo a sequence of Wittig reactions in which the surrogate triphenylphosphonium stopper is exchanged for a ring component either (i) in the same rotaxane molecule to give cyclic daisy chains by an intramolecular, chain-terminating reaction or (ii) in another rotaxane molecule to give acyclic daisy chains by an intermolecular chain-propagating reaction.
Natural peptide spine and artificial crown ether are blended together to form a hybrid structure. A dicationic benzylammonium guest threads through the crown ether pendants and the resulting noncovalent, self-assembled pseudorotaxane complex, shown schematically in the picture, is both stable and has optical properties dependant on temperature.
A supramolecular homodimer is formed in solution and in the solid state by a self-complementary [2]catenane incorporating a 1,5-dioxynaphthalene-based macrocyclic polyether interlocked with a bipyridinium-based tetracationic cyclophane (shown schematically). This unique example of self-recognition is the result of a combination of cooperative pi small middle dot small middle dot small middle dotpi and C-H small middle dot small middle dot small middle dotpi interactions.
[structure: see text] Dibenzylammonium (DBA+) ions thread through the cavity of tribenzo[27]crown-9 (TB27C9) to generate [2]pseudorotaxanes that are stabilized principally by hydrogen-bonding interactions. The stabilities and complexation kinetics associated with these pseudorotaxanes depend markedly on the nature of the substituents situated on the phenyl rings of the DBA+ ions. For example, the complex formed between TB27C9 and the DBA+ ion bearing electron-withdrawing pCO2Me substituents is stronger than that obtained from TB27C9 and the "parent", unsubstituted DBA+ ion itself. Furthermore, the "parent" complex equilibrates much more rapidly with its uncomplexed components than do the complexes generated from TB27C9 and substituted DBA+ ions.
Logic gates were fabricated from an array of configurable switches, each consisting of a monolayer of redox-active rotaxanes sandwiched between metal electrodes. The switches were read by monitoring current flow at reducing voltages. In the "closed" state, current flow was dominated by resonant tunneling through the electronic states of the molecules. The switches were irreversibly opened by applying an oxidizing voltage across the device. Several devices were configured together to produce AND and OR logic gates. The high and low current levels of those gates were separated by factors of 15 and 30, respectively, which is a significant enhancement over that expected for wired-logic gates.