Diphenanthrioctaphyrin(1.1.1.0.1.1.1.0), an expanded carbaporphyrinoid incorporating two phenanthrenylene moieties, exists as two separate, yet interconvertible, locked stereoisomers. These species demonstrate complex dynamic behavior upon protonation, consisting in multiple conformational rearrangements and anion-binding events. The formation of one of the final dicationic forms is accompanied by the inclusion of a complex anion(s) within the macrocyclic cavity yielding a pseudorotaxane-like host-guest complex. Protonation with trifluoroacetic or dichloroacetic acids followed by neutralization afforded a conformation-switching cycle, which involves six structurally different species. Analogous acidification with chiral 10-camphorsulfonic acid and subsequent neutralization generated one of the free base stereoisomers with enantiomeric excess. Therefore, it was shown that the simple acid-base chemistry of diphenanthrioctaphyrin can act as stimulus, inducing chirality into the system, allowing for the manipulation of the stereochemical information imprinted into the enantiomers of the macrocycle.
Keywords: anion binding; chirality; conformational equilibria; porphyrinoids; pseudorotaxanes.
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