Switchable supramolecular helices for asymmetric stereodivergent catalysis.

Despite recent developments on the design of dynamic catalysts, none of them have been exploited for the in-situ control of multiple stereogenic centers in a single molecular scaffold. We report herein that it is possible to obtain in majority any amongst the four possible stereoisomers of an amino alcohol by means of a switchable asymmetric catalyst built on supramolecular helices. Hydrogen-bonded assemblies between a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) achiral phosphine ligand coordinated to copper and a chiral BTA comonomer are engaged in a copper-hydride catalyzed hydrosilylation and hydroamination cascade process.

Rationalizing the Extent of the "Sergeants-and-Soldiers" Effect in Supramolecular Helical Catalysts: Effect of Copper Coordination.

Aggregation of supramolecular helices, for example through interdigitation of their alkyl side chains or through more directional supramolecular interactions, leads to hierarchical architectures with original structural and chiroptical properties. However, when a chiral monomer (the "sergeant") is introduced as a minor component in these assemblies composed of a majority of achiral monomers (the "soldiers"), it is not clear how the aggregation changes the ability of the sergeant to induce a preferential helicity to the polymer main chain (the so-called "sergeants-and-soldiers" effect). This study reports a detailed investigation of the influence of [Cu(OAc) ⋅H O] coordination on the structure and chiroptical properties of helical hydrogen-bonded co-assemblies composed of a catalytically-active benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) monomer, acting as the "soldier", and an enantiopure BTA monomer derived from cyclohexylalanine, playing the role of the "sergeant".

Anion Recognition by Benzoxaborole.

The binding types (H-bonding or coordinate) and stability constants for complexes of 11 mono- and di-anions with benzoxaborole () were determined by H and B NMR titrations in DMSO or MeCN. Compared to phenylboronic acid (PBA), is a stronger Lewis acid and a poorer H-bond donor with only one B-OH group, which is expected therefore to recognize anions mostly through the coordinate bonding. This is the case however only with F, HPO, and PhPO anions, which are coordinately bonded to , and partially with SO, which forms only the H-bonded complex with PBA, but both H-bonded and coordinate complexes with .

Dissecting the Role of the Sergeants in Supramolecular Helical Catalysts: From Chain Capping to Intercalation.

Controlling the properties of supramolecular assemblies requires unveiling the specific interactions between their components. In the present work, the catalytic properties and structure of co-assemblies composed of a benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) ligand coordinated to copper (the soldier) and seven enantiopure BTAs (the sergeants) have been determined. Whatever the sergeant, the enantioselectivity of the reaction is directly proportional to the optical purity of the supramolecular helices.

Examination of pinanediol-boronic acid ester formation in aqueous media: relevance to the relative stability of trigonal and tetrahedral boronate esters.

The interaction of pinanediol with 2-fluorophenylboronic acid and several other substituted phenylboronic acids was studied in 40% vol. aqueous acetonitrile by 1H and 11B NMR, potentiometric and spectrophotometric titrations at variable pH values. The experimental results reveal the formation of a very stable trigonal ester (Ktrig ≈ 2 × 104 M-1) and a significantly less stable tetrahedral hydroxocomplex (Ktet ≈ 5 × 103 M-1) in contrast to the traditionally observed inverted order of stabilities Ktrig < Ktet.

Brønsted versus Lewis Acid Type Anion Recognition by Arylboronic Acids.

Interactions between arylboronic acids and a series of anions as tetrabutylammonium salts in DMSO and MeCN were studied by (1)H and (11)B NMR as well as spectrophotometrically. Boronic acids act as Brønsted acid type receptors through hydrogen bonding with B(OH)2 hydroxyl groups toward Cl(-), Br(-), HSO4(-), and AcO(-), but they act as Lewis acid type receptors toward F(-) and H2PO4(-), which form tetrahedral adducts with the B(III) center of boronic acids, although there is also evidence for some contribution of hydrogen bonding with these anions. The Hammett plot for the binding constants of AcO(-) with 3- and 4-substituted phenylboronic acids in DMSO is nonlinear, with a small negative slope for electron-donating and weakly electron-accepting substituents and a large positive slope for strongly electron-accepting substituents.