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Remote Impacts of Methyl Substituents on the Guest‐Binding Ability of Self‐Assembled Cages
Author(s) -
Fang Yu,
Murase Takashi,
Fujita Makoto
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201301642
Subject(s) - substituent , cage , chemistry , self assembly , stereochemistry , ligand (biochemistry) , group (periodic table) , crystallography , methyl group , phenanthroline , organic chemistry , receptor , biochemistry , mathematics , combinatorics
We synthesized self‐assembled coordination cages in which 1,10‐phenanthroline derivatives serve as capping ligands. Substituents at the 2,9‐positions of the phenanthroline ligand covered the outside of the cage but had an impact on the guest binding inside the cage. Introduction of methyl groups at the 2,9‐positions allowed the cage to accommodate tetraphenylsilane. Bulky mesityl groups overhanging the cage framework significantly shrunk the cage cavity through π–π interactions with the aromatic panels of the cage. The p ‐methyl group of the mesityl substituent was a determinant of the restricted motion of 4,4′‐dimethoxybenzil inside the cage at high temperature. Thus, the presence or absence of one methyl group, which is far from the guest‐binding site, makes a significant difference in the guest species and motions inside the cage.