Encapsulated cobalt-porphyrin as a catalyst for size-selective radical-type cyclopropanation reactions

A cobalt-porphyrin catalyst encapsulated in a cubic M8 L6 cage allows cyclopropanation reactions in aqueous media. The caged-catalyst shows enhanced activities in acetone/water as compared to pure acetone. Interestingly, the M8 L6 encapsulated catalyst reveals size-selectivity. Smaller substrates more easily penetrate through the pores of the "molecular ship-in-a-bottle catalysts" and are hence converted faster than bigger substrates. In addition, N-tosylhydrazone sodium salts are easy to handle reagents for cyclopropanation reactions under these conditions.