Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.122, No.19, 4573-4582, 2000
Synthesis and assembly of self-complementary cavitands
Cavitands with self-complementary shapes (3 and 4) were prepared by the covalent attachment of adamantane guest molecules to the upper rim of the host structures. Relatives of the "self-folding" cavitands 2, these new structures possess a seam of intramolecular hydrogen bonds that stabilize the folded conformation. Their self-complementary shapes result in the formation of noncovalent dimers of considerable kinetic and thermodynamic stability (-Delta G(295) = 4.5 kcal/mol for 3a and 6.5 kcal/mol for 4a in p-xylene-d(10)). The dimerization of cavitands 3 and 4 is reversible and subject to control by solvent and temperature. The dimerization process is enthalpically favored and entropy opposed and occurs with significant enthalpy-entropy compensation.