Open AccessMolecular Recognition by Zn(II)‐Capped Dynamic Foldamers
Author(s) -
Eccles Natasha,
della Sala Flavio,
Le Bailly Bryden A. F.,
Whitehead George F. S.,
Clayden Jonathan,
Webb Simon J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemistryopen
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2191-1363
DOI - 10.1002/open.201900362
Subject(s) - foldamer , chemistry , carboxylate , acetonitrile , stereochemistry , crystallography , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , organic chemistry
Abstract Two α‐aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) foldamers bearing Zn(II)‐chelating N‐termini have been synthesized and compared with a reported Aib foldamer that has a bis(quinolinyl)/mono(pyridyl) cap (BQPA group). Replacement of the quinolinyl arms of the BQPA‐capped foldamer with pyridyl gave a BPPA‐capped foldamer, then further replacement of the linking pyridyl with a 1,2,3‐triazole gave a BPTA‐capped foldamer. Their ability to relay chiral information from carboxylate bound to Zn(II) at the N‐terminus to a glycinamide‐based NMR reporter of conformational preference at the C‐terminus was measured. The importance of the quinolinyl arms became readily apparent, as the foldamers with pyridyl arms were unable to report on the presence of chiral carboxylate in acetonitrile. Low solubility, X‐ray crystallography and 1 H NMR spectroscopy suggested that interfoldamer interactions inhibited carboxylate binding. However changing solvent to methanol revealed that the end‐to‐end relay of chiral information could be observed for the Zn(II) complex of the BPTA‐capped foldamer at low temperature.