published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Calixarenes are a class of macrocyclic compounds that have garnered interest in large part because of their ability to form host-guest complexes with various types of molecules. For all of the studies of complex formation by calixarenes, most of the work to date has concentrated upon the smaller calixarenes, and little is understood about the relationship between the complexes formed when in solution and that observed in the solid state. The first part of the study, presented in Chapter 3, is of the solid-state properties of two of the larger calixarenes, and in comparison to other reported structures reveals patterns to the observed conformations both in the solid state and in solution. The formation of metal complexes has also been investigated and has focused extensively upon the metals as guests. Thus, the ability of the calixarenes to act as ligands in inorganic complexes has been virtually untapped, despite the polyoxo binding site they can easily provide, and very few metallocalixarenes have been reported. The second part of this study goes beyond the simple solid-state properties of such compounds, and involves the synthesis of several metallocalixarenes as part of a project directed at the functionalization of calixarenes with the components of a class of catalysts known to polymerize various olefins. These catalysts, commonly referred to as Ziegler-Natta catalysts, are introduced in Chapter 4. The new compounds presented here--three new aluminocalixarenes in Chapter 5 and a new titanocalixarene in Chapter 6--were synthesized so as to contain some of the same components observed in several of the other catalysts. These new compounds have been characterized crystallographically as well as through proton and multinuclear NMR, and observed conformational patterns are discussed.

The unifying theme of this thesis is the exploitation of the reactivity of aryliodonium salts as electrophile transfer reagents. In the first part of the thesis, diaryliodonium salts are employed as arylation reagents for the enantioselective copper-catalysed arylative semipinacol rearrangement (SPR) of various tertiary allylic alcohols. This cascade reaction is a rare example of asymmetrically activating SPR using carbon electrophiles. Different substrate classes - including dihydropyran, indene and dihydronaphthalene moieties - are converted to enantioenriched beta-aryl spirocyclic ketones in excellent yields and enantioselectivities, and often as a single diastereomer. These are in turn useful functional handles for transformations into other moieties, including further rearrangements via Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. In the second part of this thesis, a two-step process for the macrocyclisation of native peptides via a non-natural linkage is developed. This study exploits previous work conducted in the group on the use of aryliodonium salts as methionine-selective diazoacetate transfer reagents. The functionalised methionine is in turn used for an intramolecular rhodium-catalysed insertion into tryptophan. Eventual translation onto solid-phase enables facile access into various macrocyclic peptides.

The discipline of organic electronics encompasses the design and synthesis of molecules for use in organic field effect transistors, organic photovoltaics, organic photodetectors, single molecule electronics, sensors, and many more. The rationale for studying organic electronic materials is compelling: organics have the potential to be low cost, processable, and flexible complements to silicon technologies to combat some of the most pressing environmental issues. Organic molecules that transport carriers are used as the active layer in many device applications. Molecules that possess energy levels that allow for electron or hole transport are typically π-conjugated materials. There has been swift progress on the design and synthesis of π-conjugated materials that possess a large density of high energy electrons such as acenes. Yet there has been less growth on materials with low energy vacant orbitals to accept an electron. Fullerenes are the ubiquitous acceptor materials used in organic electronics. Over the past few years, there have been several groups, including our own, that have synthesized non-fullerene materials for use in organic field effect transistors and solar cells. In particular, the Nuckolls laboratory has pioneered the design and synthesis of a class of molecules called contorted aromatics and studied these molecules in range of organic electronic applications. Conjugated macrocycles are one sub-class of the contorted aromatic family. This Thesis describes a body of research on the design, synthesis, and application of a new class of electronic materials made from conjugated macrocycles. Each of the macrocycles comprises perylenediimide cores wound together with various electronic linkers. The perylenediimide building block endows each macrocycle with the ability to transport electrons, while the synthetic flexibility to install different linkers allows us to create macrocycles with different electronic and physical properties. We use these materials in organic photovoltaics, field effect transistors, sensors, and photodetectors. The macrocycles possess vivid colors, absorb in the visible range of the solar spectrum, and are an exemplary class of materials to study how rigidity and strain affect device performance. We find that the strained and rigid macrocyclic framework affords each macrocycle with the ability to absorb lower energy visible light with respect to acyclic counterparts and the macrocycles outperform in photovoltaic applications. Rigidity was an important concept in our organic photodetector study: we found rigidity was one of the reasons our macrocycles outperformed both fullerenes and acyclic controls. The macrocycles all possess intramolecular cavities, and our recent studies focused on using this nanospace for sensing applications. Each of the studies described in this Thesis will demonstrate how macrocyclization is a design technique to enhance organic electronic performance.

Abstract not available

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Textile and Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. Directed Haskell W. Beckham. / Includes bibliographical references.

Anions have a wide range of importance both in chemical, as well as biological, systems; thus, the design and synthesis of novel receptors with the ability to selectively recognize or bind a specific class of anions is a rapidly developing field of supramolecular chemistry. A series of novel, acyclic pyrrole-based anion receptors will be presented. These systems, which are based on pyridine 2,6-dicarboxamides, bind nitrite and carboxylate anions with good selectivity in dichloroethane solution and are also capable of binding cyanide anions weakly. Control systems, incorporating a benzene-1,3-dicarboxamide spacer, or those wherein the connectivity of the amide linkage is "reversed," either failed to act as effective anion receptors or displayed very different selectivities. Such observations provide support for the notion that small perturbations in the structure of these receptors can lead to drastic changes in their anionbinding properties. Furthermore, efforts have been made to attach macrocyclic phosphate-binding receptors developed in the Sessler Group to cellulose solid supports. The idea is that these macrocycles, once bound to cellulose, will be capable of extracting phosphate from solutions. Studies on the macrocyclic loading level and extraction abilities of the receptors are underway, and will be presented herein. / text

The synthesis of 1,2-bis(5-isobenzofuranyl)ethene by two routes is described. The first route involved generation of 1,2-bis(5-isobenzofuranyl)ethene from a bis(acetal) precursor under basic conditions. However, the synthesis was lengthy with low-yielding steps, which led to it being abandoned. The second route involved generation of 1,2-bis(5-isobenzofuranyl)ethene from a bis(oxabicyclic) precursor with 3,6-di(2'-pyridyl)-s-tetrazine. Napththo[1,2-c:5,6-c] difuran and 1,2-bis(5isobenzofuranyl)ethene were used to construct novel cyclophanes by double Diels-Alder reactions with bis(maleimide)s. NMR, AM1 modeling, and X-ray studies of the cyclophanes are discused. Attempts to prepare phenanthro[2,3-c:6,7-c] difuran and its cyclophanes are discussed. None was successful, and investigations were hampered by the inability to obtain sufficient quantities of starting materials. Finally, several suggestions are given for improving the syntheses of 1,2-bis(5- isobenzofuranyl)ethene, phenanthro[2,3-c:6,7-c]difuran, and their cyclophanes. Future directions, such as the functionalization of the double bond of 1,2-bis(5-isobenzofuranyl)ethene, aromatization of the oxabicyclic rings of the cyclophanes, and further X-ray studies are discussed. / x, 122 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.