Noncovalent charge-transfer interactions

Mechanical movements in supramolecular structures rely on modulation of noncovalent-bonding interactions. Such changes occur when charge-transfer interactions between electron-donor and electron-acceptor groups are weakened. 

Among the systems proposed as models for the photosynthetic reaction center, supramolecular assemblies in which Ru(II)-polypyridine complexes and 4,4 -bipyridinium units are held together noncovalently in threaded and interlocked structures have been extensively studied [43, 82-88]. In such assemblies, connections between the molecular components rely on charge transfer interactions between the electron acceptor bipyridinium units and aromatic electron donor groups (Fig. 3). For instance, in the various pseudorotaxanes formed in acetonitrile solution at 298 K by the threading of cyclophane 4 + by the dioxybenzene-containing tethers of 192+ (Fig. 17) [84], an efficient photoinduced electron... 

Boronic acid binding sites can also be used in combination with other covalent or noncovalent interactions. Glyceric acid and derivatives were thus bound as boronic esters aided by electrostatic, hydrophobic, charge-transfer interactions, or hydrogen bonding [39]. A boronic ester bond and a Schiflf base have been used for the imprinting of D-glyceraldehyde [4] and of l-DOPA in 8 [48]. 

Chemists often call upon certain chemical types of interaction to account for solvent-solvent, solvent-solute, or solute-solute interaction behavior, and we should eon-sider how these ehemical interactions are related to the long-range noncovalent forces discussed above. The important chemical interactions are charge transfer, hydrogen bonding, and the hydrophobic interaction. 

The final part is devoted to a survey of molecular properties of special interest to the medicinal chemist. The Theory of Atoms in Molecules by R. F.W. Bader et al., presented in Chapter 7, enables the quantitative use of chemical concepts, for example those of the functional group in organic chemistry or molecular similarity in medicinal chemistry, for prediction and understanding of chemical processes. This contribution also discusses possible applications of the theory to QSAR. Another important property that can be derived by use of QC calculations is the molecular electrostatic potential. J.S. Murray and P. Politzer describe the use of this property for description of noncovalent interactions between ligand and receptor, and the design of new compounds with specific features (Chapter 8). In Chapter 9, H.D. and M. Holtje describe the use of QC methods to parameterize force-field parameters, and applications to a pharmacophore search of enzyme inhibitors. The authors also show the use of QC methods for investigation of charge-transfer complexes. 

Studies on molecular recognition by artificial receptors are thus one of the most important approaches to such characterization in relation to supramolecular chemistry [4]. Functional simulation of intracellular receptors in aqueous media has been actively carried out with attention to various noncovalent host-guest interactions, such as hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen-bonding, charge-transfer, and van der Waals modes [5-10]. On the other hand, molecular recognition by artificial cell-surface receptors embedded in supramolecular assemblies has been scarcely studied up to the present time, except for channel-linked receptors [11-13]. 

In these cases 14 and 22 act as beads, threaded on stoppered polyether chains containing the Tr-electron-rich or 7r-electron-deficient stations. This noncovalent interaction simplifies the synthetic procedures necessary, as the unstoppered thread and its bead will self-assemble, and the resulting charge transfer complex can be stoppered with bulky terminal groups to give the functional rotaxane. Other sue-... 

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