Self-complementary and narcissistic self-sorting of bis-acridinium tweezers

Dalton Trans. 2019 Jun 28;48(24):8725-8730. doi: 10.1039/c9dt01465a. Epub 2019 May 28.

Abstract

A molecular tweezer incorporating two acridinium moieties linked by a 1,3-dipyridylbenzene spacer was synthesized in three steps. The formation of its self-complementary dimer in water was demonstrated as a result of π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, a 1 : 1 mixture of this bis-acridinium tweezer with one built on a 2,6-diphenylpyridyl spacer evidenced its narcissistic self-sorting behaviour in water.