Khan, Najat S.; Perez-Aguilar, Jose Manuel; Kaufmann, Tara; Hill, P. Aru; Taratula, Olena; Lee, One-Sun; Carroll, Patrick J.; Saven, Jeffery G.; Dmochowski, Ivan J.
Multiple Hindered Rotators in a Gyroscope-Inspired Tribenzylamine Hemicryptophane
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 76:1418-1424, MAR 4 2011

A gyroscope-inspired tribenzylamine hemicryptophane provides a vehicle for exploring the structure and properties of multiple p-phenylene rotators within one molecule. The hemicryptophane was synthesized in three steps in good overall yield using mild conditions. Three rotator-forming linkers were cyclized to form a rigid cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) stator framework, which was then closed with an amine. The gyroscope-like molecule was characterized by (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and the structure was solved by X-ray crystallography. The rigidity of the two-component CTV-trismethylamine stator was investigated by (1)H variable-temperature (VT) NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. These techniques identified gyration of the three p-phenylene rotators on the millisecond time scale at -93 degrees C, with more dynamic but still hindered motion at room temperature (27 degrees C). The activation energy for the p-phenylene rotation was determined to be similar to 10 kcal mol(-1). Due to the propeller arrangement of the p-phenylenes, their rotation is hindered but not strongly correlated. The compact size, simple synthetic route, and molecular motions of this gyroscope-inspired tribenzylamine hemicryptophane make it an attractive starting point for controlling the direction and coupling of rotators within molecular systems.

DOI:10.1021/jo102480s

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