Multicomponent Assembly of Boronic Acid-Based Macrocycles, Cages, and Polymers

This work describes the synthesis and characterization of boronic acid-based supramolecular structures. Different reversible interactions such as boronate ester formation, imine condensation and dative B–N bond formation are used to assemble macrocycles, cages and polymers. Multicomponent condensation reactions of different diamines with tetraols and formylphenylboronic acids give macrocycles via formation of imine bonds and boronate esters. The [4+2+2] condensation products are generally preferred but larger macrocycles are observed for some combinations of staring materials. The larger macrocycles are in dynamic equilibrium with the smaller [4+2+2] products. Utilization of a triamine instead of the diamine results in the formation of molecular cages. The syntheses of these cages require the formation of 18 covalent bonds between 11 building blocks, and, interestingly, can be performed in a ball mill. Multicomponent reactions of diboronic acids, catechol derivatives, and different pyridyl ligands are described. The condensation of diboronic acids with catechols gives dioxaboroles. Upon crystallization, the ester aggregates with the N-donor ligands via dative B−N bonds. Depending on the nature of the pyridyl ligand, molecularly defined macrocycles, cages or polymeric structures are obtained. One-dimensional polymers are formed with 4,4-bipyridine and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, whereas a two-dimensional network is obtained with the tetradentate ligand tetra(4-pyridylphenyl)ethylene. A tripyridyl linker results in the formation trigonal prismatic cages. The size of the cages can be varied by changing the diboronic acid building block. The cages are able to encapsulate polyaromatic molecules such as triphenylene or coronene. The results highlight the potential of dative B−N bonds in structural supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering.

Boron-Nitrogen Dative Bonds in Structural Supramolecular Chemistry

Erin Sheepwash

This work describes the use of boron-nitrogen dative bonds in supramolecular chemistry. Molecular tectons have been synthesized for crystal engineering. These tectons are linked via B-N dative bonds to form 1-dimensional polymers and macrocycles. B-N dative bonds were further used for the formation of crystalline organic networks by assembly of a tritopic boronate ester with ditopic N-donor ligands. These networks could be structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction to reveal 2-dimensional polymers. These structures were observed by PXRD to collapse upon removal of solvent. The reaction of a larger triboronate ester with 4,4'-bipyridine resulted in an organogel which formed with as little as 0.5 wt% of the network in toluene. The orange gel exhibited thermochromic properties, with a Tgel of 60 °C. Association constants for the formation of B-N dative bonds between dioxaborole and pyridyl ligands were examined by 1H NMR and ITC titrations. Ka values in excess of 106 M-1 can be obtained by varying the electronics of the reaction partners. The adducts have been characterized comprehensively by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Finally, the dative B-N bond was used for the synthesis of main-chain supramolecular polymers. Self-complementary monomers were synthesized containing a dialkylaminopyridine and a dioxaborole. These monomers assembled in chloroform to form polymers which were characterized by viscosity and DOSY NMR experiments.

EPFL2012

Self-assembly of boron-based supramolecular structures

Nicolas Christinat

This work describes the synthesis and characterization of boronic acid-based supramolecular structures. Macrocycles, dendritic structures, polymers, rotaxanes, and cages were assembled using four types of reversible reactions. The key point of the strategy is the parallel utilization of two –or more– of these reactions. Initially, aryl and alkylboronic acids were condensed with dihydroxypyridine ligands to give tetrameric or pentameric macrocycles, in which four or five boronate esters are connected by dative B-N bonds. These macrocycles were then used as scaffolds for the assembly of more complex structures from the multicomponent reaction of formyl functionalized boronic acids, with dihydroxypyridine ligands and primary amines. Dendritic structures having a tetrameric or pentameric macrocyclic core and four, five, eight, or ten amine-derived groups in their periphery were obtained. Three-component reactions were further used to prepare boronate ester polymers from aryl boronic acids, 1,2,4,5-tetrahydroxybenzene and either 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene or 4,4'-dipyridine. Crystallographic analyses show that the bis(dioxaborole) units are connected by dipyridyl linkers via dative B-N interactions. A computational study provides evidence that the polymers are strongly colored due to efficient intrastrand charge transfer excitations from the tetraoxobenzene to the dipyridyl linker. This latter property was used to assemble the first boron-based rotaxanes from 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, catechol, 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylboronic acid and 1,5-dinaphto-38-crown-10 or bis-p-phenylene-34-crown-10. In the last part of this work, boronate ester condensations were combined with imine condensations to build organic macrocycles and cages. The former interaction was also used together with metal-ligand interactions to prepare rhenium-based macrocycles. Finally, a nanometer-sized macrocycle was obtained in one step from four chemically distinct building blocks via the simultaneous utilization of the three reversible reactions.

EPFL2008

Self-assembly of boron-based supramolecular structures

Nicolas Christinat

EPFL2008