Molecular tweezers
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Molecular tweezers sometimes referred to as molecular clips are noncyclic compounds with open cavities capable of binding guests.[1] The open cavity of the molecular tweezers binds guests using non-covalent bonding including hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, π-π interactions, and/or electrostatic effects. They are analogous to macrocyclic molecular receptors except the two arms that bind the guest molecule are only connected at one end.
[edit] Examples
An example of molecular tweezers was reported by Lehn and coworkers is capable of binding aromatic guests.[2] The molecular tweezers are composed of two anthracene arms held at a distance that allows aromatic guests to gain π-π interactions from both.
Another example of molecular tweezers is based on a chenodeoxycholic acid scaffold is an urea receptor which can contain anions in its binding pocket in order of affinity: H2PO4- (dihydrogen phosphate) > Cl- > Br- > I- reflecting their basicities (tetrabutylammonium counter ion).[3]
[edit] External links
- Journal of Chemical Education Featured Molecules December 2004: Nanoscale Molecular Tweezers and article
- Crystalmaker molecular tweezers
[edit] References
- ^ Molecular Tweezers and Clips as Synthetic Receptors. Molecular Recognition and Dynamics in Receptor-Substrate Complexes Frank-Gerrit Klärner and Björn Kahlert, Acc. Chem. Res., 36 (12), 919 -932, 2003.DOI:S0001-4842(02)00044-4 10.1021/ar0200448 S0001-4842(02)00044-4
- ^ Dynamic Devices. Shape Switching and Substrate Binding in Ion-Controlled Nanomechanical Molecular Tweezers Anne Petitjean, Richard G. Khoury, Nathalie Kyritsakas, and Jean-Marie Lehn, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 126 (21), 6637 -6647, 2004. DOI:S0002-7863(03)01915-2 10.1021/ja031915r S0002-7863(03)01915-2
- ^ Molecular Tweezer Based on Chenodeoxycholic Acid:Synthesis, Anion Binding Properties Ki Soo Kim, Hong-Seok Kim Bulletin of the Korean Society 1411-1413 2004 Article
