Anion-Binding Behavior of Hybrid Calixpyrroles

Hybrid calixpyrrole systems are calixpyrrole-like macrocycles that are based on more than one
type of small molecule building block. Structurally, these “mixed-breed” macrocycles differ from
calixpyrroles in that some pyrrolic units in the latter are replaced by other hetereocyclic units
such as furan, thiophene, bipyrrole, and bithiophene. Although several such systems have been
reported in recent years, only a few have been studied as possible anion receptors. In this paper,
the results of detailed anion binding studies involving several prototypic systems are reported.
Taken in concert, these results highlight the fact that some hybrid systems, including compounds
2−5, display anion affinities that are considerably weaker than those of the parent system 1. On
the other hand, they also show that compounds 6−8 are good receptors for “Y-shaped” anions,
such as carboxylates, and that they bind these species with high affinity. These findings are strongly
supported by solid-state structural studies, which reveal an interesting “cross binding mode” for
the binding of carboxylate anions by the bis-thiophene, bis-pyrrole system 7.