Self-organized heteroditopic macrocyclic superstructures

Org Lett. 2003 Aug 21;5(17):3073-6. doi: 10.1021/ol035096r.

Abstract

[structure: see text] The synthesis of heteroditopic macrocyclic ureido receptors and of their NaX complexes is described. NMR studies and determination of the crystal structure show the formation of self-organized dimeric or polymeric superstructures by a cooperative macrocyclic cation complexation, anion-hydrogen bonding, and pi-pi stacking interactions. Membrane transport experiments show a direct relation between the synergetic ion-pair recognition and the transport properties of these molecular information transfer devices.