Tris calix arene, metal complexes

Calixarenes, when in their cone-conformation (54), represent versatile host systems for metalated container molecules and many examples have been reported in the literature (55-61). Reinaud and coworkers have carried out extensive work concerned with calix[6]arenes that are functionalized at the small rim by nitrogen arms (62), aiming to reproduce the hydro-phobic binding site of mononuclear zinc and copper metalloen-zymes. A recent example is the calix[6]arene ligand L1 (Fig. 3), in which a tris(2-methylpyridyl)amine unit covalently caps the calixarene small rim (63). The ligand forms copper complexes of... 

While investigating the potential to improve on the original method of cascade prepa-rationf59, Moors and Vdgtle 60a constructed a hexaimine dendrimer, which was readily converted to the tris-Co complex (66) in quantitative yield. Lhotak and Shankai[60b have addressed the potential for creation of calix[4]arene-based dendrimers and examined some metal-binding properties for the corresponding oligomers. 

Complementarity between different molecules has also been harnessed in the pursuit of capsular complexes. Schrader and Kraft have pioneered the design of complementary systems with three- and fourfold symmetry based on 1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)benzene derivatives [18] and calix[4]arenes [19], respectively. This approach has also been taken by Reinhoudt whose vast output of calixarene chemistry includes work on calix[4]arene dimers held together by ionic interactions [20]. Other examples show how the presence of encapsulated guests templates the formation of self-complementary capsules [21], how two host molecules may be held together by metal coordination [22-24] or where hydrogen bonding by a second entity holds the assembly together [25,26],... 

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