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[2]Rotaxanes containing pyridinium-phosphonium axles and 24-crown-8 ether wheels
Norma Georges1, Stephen J Loeb, Jorge Tiburcio
1Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
Abstract:
A triethylphosphonium group attached to a pyridinium ethane moiety can be used as an axle for the self-assembly of [2]pseudorotaxanes and [2]rotaxanes. Although [2]pseudorotaxane formation is limited due to the bulk of the PR4+ group, [2]rotaxanes can be formed utilising 24-crown-8 ether, benzo-24-crown-8 ether and naphtho-24-crown-8 ether. The synthesis of these [2]rotaxanes and the X-ray structure of the [2]rotaxane containing a 24-crown-8 ether wheel are described. When the crown ether contains an aromatic group two possible conformational isomers exist; these are identified at low temperature by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy.
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