Molecular Pacman: folding, inclusion, and X-ray structures of tri- and tetraamino piperazine cyclophanes

Reaction of piperazine and 1,3-bis(bromomethyl)-2-nitrobenzene under high-dilution conditions yields cyclic trimeric trinitro, tetrameric tetranitro, and pentameric pentanitro piperazine cyclophanes. Reduction of the nitro groups with SnCl(2) under acidic conditions produces the corresponding triamino and tetraamino piperazine cyclophanes. The solution studies of both nitro and amino piperazine cyclophanes at 30 degrees C by (1)H NMR spectroscopy shows symmetrical structures owing to the fast conformational exchange, whereas the low temperature studies of the tetraamino piperazine cyclophane reveals interesting dynamic behavior that indicates additional intramolecular interactions. Careful crystallizations of the trimeric trinitro and triamino and the tetrameric tetraamino cyclophanes resulted in crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction studies. In the crystalline state the amino-functionalized cyclophanes manifest an extraordinary circular intramolecular hydrogen-bonding network that leads to a fixed 3D structure. Hydrogen bonding in the triamino trimer leads to orientation of all three of the amino groups on the same side of the macrocycle, namely, the rcc conformation, whereas the tetraamino tetramer folds into a more compact shell-like conformation. During the crystallization process one acetonitrile guest is enclosed into the cavity of the tetraamino cyclophane, which gives a crystalline inclusion complex with remarkable resemblance to the famous Pacman motif. The folding, which mimics the behavior of some cyclic peptides and pyrroles, is induced by intramolecular hydrogen bonding from the amino groups to the tertiary amine groups of the piperazines. The cavity of the tetraamino tetramer is markedly smaller than in the corresponding, but nonfolded, tetranitro tetramer and the guest/host volume ratio (packing coefficient) for the acetonitrile and the cavity is approximately 50 %, which indicates a good size match for acetonitrile inclusion.