Tailoring the Binding Properties of Phosphazane Anion Receptors and Transporters

The binding and sensing of anions is an important cross-disciplinary field, which impacts broad areas such as biology, supramolecular chemistry and catalysis. To date, however, this area has been dominated by organic architectures which function as H-bonding, anion receptor molecules. Inorganic anion receptors have largely been based on Lewis acidic metals, with very few examples of H-bonding counterparts of organic systems having been systematically studied. This paper develops strategies for enhancing the anion binding properties of phosphazanes of the type [(RNH)(E)P(μ-N ^tBu)]₂ (E = O, S, Se) which are bench-stable, H-bond receptors that can be regarded as inorganic analogues of squaramides (a key class of organic anion receptor). The distinct advantages of these inorganic receptors over organic counterparts is the ease by which their functionality and electronic character can be altered (by means of the R group, chalcogenide, or metal present). Se substitution at the P centers, the presence of electron-withdrawing R groups, and metal coordination to the soft donor centers can be used to modulate and enhance anion binding. The water stability and superior anion binding properties of the seleno-phosph(V)azanes give them applications as synthetic anion transporters through phospholipid layers.