Advances in the use of metal-free tetrapyrrolic macrocycles as catalysts

• Mandeep K. Chahal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3085–3112, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.257

• used three different types of macrocycles: calix[4]pyrroles 11, 17a–c, porphyrin 18, and calix[4]arene 19 (Figure 4a). Despite the presence of –OH and –NH binding sites, both calix[4]arene 19 and porphyrin 18 showed only a negligible activity compared to calix[4]pyrroles (11, 17a–c), which provided

Synthetic applications of the Cannizzaro reaction

• Bhaskar Chatterjee,
• Dhananjoy Mondal and
• Smritilekha Bera

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 1376–1395, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.120

• proposed strategy where the metal ion acts as the binding cation template for the intramolecular desymmetrization (Scheme 15) [82]. A similar highly efficient intramolecular Cannizzaro reaction of calix[4]arene dialdehydes was observed by Galli et al. where the 1,3-distal cone 35 significantly responded to

• [4]arene dialdehydes. Desymmetrization of dialdehydes of symmetrical crown ethers using Ba(OH)2. Synthesis of ottelione A (proposed) via intramolecular Cannizzaro reaction. Intramolecular Cannizzaro reaction for the synthesis of pestalalactone. Synthetic strategy towards nigricanin involving an

• reaction. AlCl3-mediated Cannizzaro disproportionation of aldehydes. Ru–N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed dehydrogenative synthesis of carboxylic acids. Intramolecular desymmetrization of tetraethylene glycol. Desymmetrization of oligoethylene glycol dialdehydes. Intramolecular Cannizzaro reaction of calix

Switchable molecular tweezers: design and applications

• Pablo Msellem,
• Maksym Dekthiarenko,
• Nihal Hadj Seyd and
• Guillaume Vives

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 504–539, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.45

Green and sustainable approaches for the Friedel–Crafts reaction between aldehydes and indoles

• Periklis X. Kolagkis,
• Eirini M. Galathri and
• Christoforos G. Kokotos

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 379–426, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.36

• , such as camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) [44], diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAHP) [45], Amberlyst 15 [46], P2O5/MeSO3H [47], p-sulfonic acid calix[4]arene [48], xanthan sulfuric acid (XSA) [49], H5PW10V2O40/pyridino-santa barbara amorphous-15 (SBA-15) [50], TiO2-SO42− [51][52], humic acid [53] or Lewis

Tying a knot between crown ethers and porphyrins

• Maksym Matviyishyn and
• Bartosz Szyszko

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2023, 19, 1630–1650, doi:10.3762/bjoc.19.120

• slightly enhanced upon complexation. Crowned calixpyrroles In 2008, Sessler and co-workers synthesised an ion-pair receptor incorporating a calix[4]pyrrole framework functionalised with the crown ether units attached through meso-aryl groups (Scheme 1) [101]. The system comprised a crown-6-calix[4]arene

• -capped calix[4]pyrrole cavitand 4. The heteroditopic receptor had multiple binding sites, proving efficient in encapsulating a CsF ion pair. The calix[4]arene-crown-6-capped pocket was exploited as an excellent binding site for the Cs+ cation, whereas the calix[4]pyrrole was aligned to trap the fluoride

• separation between the cation and anion. Sessler and co-workers introduced a similar ion-pair receptor, in which the calix[4]arene-strapped calix[4]pyrrole 5 demonstrated an additional binding mode of CsF (Figure 5). The binding constant Ka = 1.3·104 M−1 in CHCl3/MeOH 9:1 was reported [101][102]. This

Diametric calix[6]arene-based phosphine gold(I) cavitands

• Gabriele Giovanardi,
• Andrea Secchi,
• Arturo Arduini and
• Gianpiero Cera

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2022, 18, 190–196, doi:10.3762/bjoc.18.21

• 7.48–7.20 (m, 5H), 6.93 (d, J = 16.2 Hz, 1H), 6.48 (d, J = 16.2 Hz, 1H), 5.73 (ddd, J = 2.7, 1.9, 0.9 Hz, 1H), 4.23–4.14 (m, 4H), 3.28 (dd, J = 1.9, 0.9 Hz, 2H), 3.18 (dd, J = 1.9, 0.9 Hz, 2H), 1.32–1.21 (m, 6H). Selected examples of: a) calix[4]arene-; b) resorcin[4]arene-; c) calix[6]arene-gold(I

Chiral anion recognition using calix[4]arene-based ureido receptors in a 1,3-alternate conformation

• Tereza Horáčková,
• Jan Budka,
• Vaclav Eigner,
• Wen-Sheng Chung,
• Petra Cuřínová and
• Pavel Lhoták

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2999–3007, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.249

• of calix[4]arene immobilised in the 1,3-alternate conformation led to a system possessing a preorganised ureido cavity hemmed with chiral alkyl units in the near proximity. As shown by the 1H NMR titration experiments, these compounds can be used as receptors for chiral anions in DMSO-d6. The chiral

• highly sophisticated molecules, including anionic receptors [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. During our ongoing research on anion complexation, we have reported various calix[4]arene receptors based mainly on amide, urea, or thiourea groups [40][41], some of which are available in

• exemplified by our previously published receptors C1 based on a calix[4]arene moiety or by C2 using thiacalix[4]arene as the core scaffold [44][45]. Moreover, the introduction of the tert-butyl groups into the 1,3-alternate conformer should lead to the overall increase rigidity of the molecule, possibly

NMR Spectroscopy of supramolecular chemistry on protein surfaces

• Peter Bayer,
• Anja Matena and
• Christine Beuck

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2505–2522, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.203

• sulfonato-calix[4]arene binding to Ralstonia solanacearum lectin that was chemically dimethylated on three lysine residues and the N-terminus was studied by 15N-HSQC titrations [50][51]. Both ligands prefer binding to methylated lysines whereby the binding affinity (for the free amino acids) increases with

• the protein–ligand complex. In contrast, the native, unmethylated protein was not bound by cucurbit[7]uril. The Hof lab developed sulfonato-calix[4]arene ligands with one or two additional aromatic substituents that show an even higher selectivity towards trimethyl-lysine over unmodified lysine than

• residues over others as well. The smallest calix[4]arene is confined to a bowl-shaped conformation and entraps mostly lysine side chains, however, occasionally an arginine residue is favored over lysine residues [80][82]. The larger calixarenes are more flexible, and different conformations have been found

Attempted synthesis of a meta-metalated calix[4]arene

• Christopher D. Jurisch and
• Gareth E. Arnott

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1996–2002, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.195

• Christopher D. Jurisch Gareth E. Arnott Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa 10.3762/bjoc.15.195 Abstract An evidence for the formation of a rare meta-metalated inherently chiral calix[4]arene is described. Our

• whose chiral nature is a result of selective substitution on the calix[4]arene by various functional groups [9]. In particular, we have focused on the less-studied meta-substituted derivatives [10] whose inherent chirality is more commonly introduced by a suitable directing group [11][12][13][14][15

• this using a pyridyl sulfoxide directing group and palladium as the metal, but in this case the palladium caused a double C–H activation and formed an impressive bridge to the adjacent calix[4]arene aromatic ring [14]. The question for us was whether this bridge formation was a general principle or

Complexation of chiral amines by resorcin[4]arene sulfonic acids in polar media – circular dichroism and diffusion studies of chirality transfer and solvent dependence

• Bartosz Setner and
• Agnieszka Szumna

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1913–1924, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.187

• manifested in chirality transfer. We will also present a crucial and non-intuitive solvent dependence. RSAs (e.g., 1) can be considered as analogues of calix[4]arene sulfonic acids (CSAs) – the class of macrocycles widely studied in the context of various host–guest interactions, especially with various

Host–guest interactions between p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene and p-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene and group IA, IIA and f-block metal cations: a DFT/SMD study

• Valya K. Nikolova,
• Cristina V. Kirkova,
• Silvia E. Angelova and
• Todor M. Dudev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1321–1330, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.131

• medicine. The binding affinities and thermodynamics of p-sulfonato-calix[4]arene upon complexation with different inorganic and organic cations in water have been investigated experimentally by Bonal et al. [30] and Morel et al. [31]. The experiments indicated 1:1 stoichiometry of the inclusion complexes

Polyaminoazide mixtures for the synthesis of pH-responsive calixarene nanosponges

• Antonella Di Vincenzo,
• Antonio Palumbo Piccionello,
• Alberto Spinella,
• Delia Chillura Martino,
• Marco Russo and
• Paolo Lo Meo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 633–641, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.59

• copolymers (CyCaNSs) [16][17][18], which showed pH-dependent sequestration abilities towards different model organic substrates. The latter NSs were easily synthesized by means of a CuAAC-type reaction [19][20][21] between a heptakisazido-β-cyclodextrin and a tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene derivative

• . More recently, we also reported the synthesis of entirely synthetic calixarene nanosponges (CaNSs) [22], which can be prepared by means of the same CuAAC approach, by reacting a tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene with a diazidoalkane. Of course, the reaction results in the formation of bis(1,2,3

• ) of polyaminoazide mixtures, which were in turn used for the preparation of CaNSs materials with pH-tunable properties, by reaction with the (5,11,17,23-tetra(tert-butyl))-(25,26,27,28-tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene (Ca) under the CuAAC reaction conditions. In turn, the synthon Ca is obtained by

Calixazulenes: azulene-based calixarene analogues – an overview and recent supramolecular complexation studies

• Paris E. Georghiou,
• Shofiur Rahman,
• Abdullah Alodhayb,
• Hidetaka Nishimura,
• Jaehyun Lee,
• Atsushi Wakamiya and
• Lawrence T. Scott

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 2488–2494, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.225

• -containing structures have gained much recent attention. Among the least-studied to date, however, have been the azulene unit-containing calix[4]arene analogues. In 1988 Asao et al. reported the synthesis of the first azulene analogue of the calixarenes, which they called “azulenophane” 2 [14]. They used a

Synthesis of new p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-based polyammonium triazolyl amphiphiles and their binding with nucleoside phosphates

• Vladimir A. Burilov,
• Guzaliya A. Fatikhova,
• Mariya N. Dokuchaeva,
• Ramil I. Nugmanov,
• Diana A. Mironova,
• Pavel V. Dorovatovskii,
• Victor N. Khrustalev,
• Svetlana E. Solovieva and
• Igor S. Antipin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1980–1993, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.173

• was elaborated for the naked-eye detection of ADP with a detection limit of 0.5 mM. Keywords: ADP; amphiphile; ATP; calix[4]arene; CuAAC; eosin Y probe; molecular recognition; polydiacetylene; self-assembly; triazole; Introduction During the last two decades many researcher groups have paid much

• high affinity to ATP [26]. Herein we report the synthesis of new amphiphilic water-soluble calix[4]arene derivatives with cone conformation containing two or four polyammonium groups on the upper rim by using a click chemistry approach and the results of binding studies toward nucleotides in aqueous

• solutions. Results and Discussion Synthesis of polyammonium calix[4]arene derivatives The functionalization of calix[4]arenes with azide groups paves the way to introduce a wide variety of functional groups [27] on the upper rim of the macrocycle by, e.g., the copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition

Asymmetric Michael addition reactions catalyzed by calix[4]thiourea cyclohexanediamine derivatives

• Zheng-Yi Li,
• Hong-Xiao Tong,
• Yuan Chen,
• Hong-Kui Su,
• Tangxin Xiao,
• Xiao-Qiang Sun and
• Leyong Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1901–1907, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.164

• clearly showed that the upper rim-functionalized hydrophobic calixarene scaffold played an important role in cooperation with the catalytic center to the good reactivities and enantioselectivities. Keywords: asymmetric Michael addition reaction; calix[4]arene; cyclohexanediamine; thiourea; Introduction

• hydrophobic cavity and chiral sites during a catalytic process [24][25]. Recently, we have reported a series of different functionalized organic catalysts based on calixarenes [26][34][35][36][37][38]. For example, we have been developed a calix[4]arene-based L-proline catalyst able to catalyze aldol

• Michael addition reactions of acetylacetone and aromatic nitroalkenes. Results and Discussion Synthesis of catalysts The chemical structures and synthetic pathways for catalysts are shown in Scheme 1 and Scheme 2, respectively. A series of upper rim-functionalized calix[4]arene-based cyclohexanediamine

Synthesis and photophysical studies of a multivalent photoreactive Ru^II-calix[4]arene complex bearing RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides

• Sofia Kajouj,
• Lionel Marcelis,
• Alice Mattiuzzi,
• Adrien Grassin,
• Damien Dufour,
• Pierre Van Antwerpen,
• Didier Boturyn,
• Eric Defrancq,
• Mathieu Surin,
• Julien De Winter,
• Pascal Gerbaux,
• Ivan Jabin and
• Cécile Moucheron

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1758–1768, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.150

• is also faced by complexes anchored on cell-penetrating peptides. In order to provide a selective cell targeting, we developed a multivalent system composed of a photoreactive ruthenium(II) complex tethered to a calix[4]arene platform bearing multiple RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides. Extensive

• target cancerous cells, we envisaged to graft a photoreactive RuII complex on a multivalent platform decorated with multiple RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides. A calix[4]arene moiety was chosen as the multivalent platform as this rigid macrocycle displays two distinct faces that can be selectively

• functionalized [54][55][56]. It is noteworthy that the calix[4]arene skeleton has been already exploited for the development of multivalent glyco- and peptidocalixarenes that can be recognized by cell-membrane receptors [57][58][59] and of calixarene derivatives able to specifically target membrane proteins

Hyper-reticulated calixarene polymers: a new example of entirely synthetic nanosponge materials

• Alberto Spinella,
• Marco Russo,
• Antonella Di Vincenzo,
• Delia Chillura Martino and
• Paolo Lo Meo

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1498–1507, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.127

• preliminary tests to assess their supramolecular absorption abilities towards a set of suitable organic guests, selected as pollutant models. The synthesis was accomplished by means of a CuAAC reaction between a tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene and an alkyl diazide. The formation of the polymeric network

• ]) between a heptakis(6-azido-6-deoxy)-β-cyclodextrin and a tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene [11][31][32]. In this way, a random disposition of the co-monomer units linked by 1,2,3-triazole units is achieved. The obtained CyCaNSs benefit from several advantages. First, the properties of the material can

• ), in which the host monomers are joined by means of bis(1,2,3-triazole) subunits having different features. More in detail, four different nanosponges CaNS1-CaNS4 were obtained by reacting the 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,26,27,28-tetrakis(propargyloxy)calix[4]arene (Ca-OP, Scheme 1a) with four

Recent applications of chiral calixarenes in asymmetric catalysis

• Mustafa Durmaz,
• Erkan Halay and
• Selahattin Bozkurt

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1389–1412, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.117

• sequence including protection/deprotection steps for the benzyl groups. The catalytic efficiency of calix[4]arene-based phase-transfer catalyst 7 was evaluated in the benchmark reaction (Scheme 3) and compared with that of the chiral quaternary ammonium salt 8. The results obtained when 7 used as

• asymmetric phase-transfer catalyst (APTC) in toluene/CHCl3–50% NaOH at 0 °C (96% yield, 91% ee) was better than both 8 or a mixture of calixarene and 8. In the comparison experiments calix[4]arene and calix[6]arene were used as cocatalysts and it has been found that size of calixarene cavity played an

• chiral calix[4]arene derivatives 9–15 (Figure 2) bearing secondary amides at lower rim have been designed as catalysts and employed in the asymmetric alkylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine esters. Among them, α-methylbenzylamine-derived calixarene-methoxy-triamide 12 afforded the (R)-benzylated

An overview of recent advances in duplex DNA recognition by small molecules

• Sayantan Bhaduri,
• Nihar Ranjan and
• Dev P. Arya

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1051–1086, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.93

• peptidocalix[4]arenes with arginine-rich short narrow groove binding residues on the lower rim of the calix[4]arene scaffold were reported by Soltani et al. in order to study the binding between well-matched and mismatched DNA duplexes [107]. Fluorescent titrations, ethidium bromide (EB) displacement assays

Phosphodiester models for cleavage of nucleic acids

• Satu Mikkola,
• Tuomas Lönnberg and
• Harri Lönnberg

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 803–837, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.68

• by calix[4]arene derivatives 7 bearing the guanidine groups at the upper rim and O-(2-ethoxyethyl) groups at the lower rim [80]. The role of the latter groups was to improve solubility to hydroxylic solvents and to rigidify the calixarene system into the so-called cone conformation. HPNP (1) was used

• hydroxy function on phosphorus (Scheme 8). Similar results were obtained on using diphenylmethane as a scaffold 8 (Figure 8) [81]. A cyclohexylidene or adamantylidene substituent on the methylene carbon moderately enhanced the catalytic activity. Interestingly, the calix[4]arene-based agent 7 catalyzed

p-tert-Butylthiacalix[4]arenes functionalized by N-(4’-nitrophenyl)acetamide and N,N-diethylacetamide fragments: synthesis and binding of anionic guests

• Alena A. Vavilova and
• Ivan I. Stoikov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1940–1949, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.188

• type of anion is needed. (Thia)calix[4]arene derivatives are a favorable platform for the design of such structures [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Due to their macrocyclic nature and the possibility to modify them in three different ways (upper and lower rims and bridge fragments), they

• ][54][55][56][57]. Modified macrocycles with the amide fragments at the lower rim can form complexes with the anions by hydrogen bonds of the amide group with the guest. It was shown that (thia)calix[4]arene derivatives with urea and thiourea fragments at the lower rim can bind anions through hydrogen

Correction: Inherently chiral calix[4]arenes via oxazoline directed ortholithiation: synthesis and probe of chiral space

• Simon A. Herbert,
• Laura J. van Laeren,
• Dominic C. Castell and
• Gareth E. Arnott

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 347–347, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.38

• Simon A. Herbert Laura J. van Laeren Dominic C. Castell Gareth E. Arnott Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa 10.3762/bjoc.13.38 Keywords: calix[4]arene; inherently chiral; ortholithiation; oxazoline; Tsuji–Trost; In

Amidofluorene-appended lower rim 1,3-diconjugate of calix[4]arene: synthesis, characterization and highly selective sensor for Cu²⁺

• Rahman Hosseinzadeh,
• Mohammad Nemati,
• Reza Zadmard and
• Maryam Mohadjerani

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1749–1757, doi:10.3762/bjoc.12.163

• Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran 10.3762/bjoc.12.163 Abstract Functionalization of calix[4]arene with amidofluorene moieties at the lower rim led to formation of the 1,3-diconjugate of calix[4]arene L as a novel fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+. The receptor molecule L exhibited

• of 9.6 × 10−8 M. Keywords: calix[4]arene; chemosensor; copper ions; fluorene; fluorescence; Introduction Owing to the substantial role of fluorescent chemosensors in biological, environmental, and chemical processes, their design and synthesis, especially for detection of metal ions has attracted

• supramolecular structures, especially calixarene derivatives, has been an appealing field for research [14]. Calixarene has been considered as an effective molecular scaffold in the improvement of fluorescent and chromogenic sensors, especially for metal-ion recognition [14][15]. Calix[4]arene derivatives having

Supramolecular chemistry: from aromatic foldamers to solution-phase supramolecular organic frameworks

• Zhan-Ting Li

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2015, 11, 2057–2071, doi:10.3762/bjoc.11.222

• project: constructing calix[4]arene-derived catenanes, such as 7a–c [15] (Scheme 3). I chose this project because I believed that I could make progress in a short time. Most of the work was done by myself, but I also received assistance from several young technicians. We succeeded in investigating the

• effect of the calix[4]arene moiety on the relative rotation of the two rings using 1H NMR, and from 1998 to 2000, we published four papers from this project. However, this was generally a tough period for me. Due to some nonacademic reasons, I could not build an efficient research group after several

Selected synthetic strategies to cyclophanes

• Sambasivarao Kotha,
• Mukesh E. Shirbhate and
• Gopalkrushna T. Waghule

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2015, 11, 1274–1331, doi:10.3762/bjoc.11.142

• key building block for the synthesis of calix[4]arene. Here, α,ω-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)alkanes 264 were used as starting materials. Compound 264 was treated with acetic anhydride and AlCl3 in nitrobenzene and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane to generate diketone 265 in 58–93% yield. Diketone 265 was then