Antenna Biphenols: Development of Extended Wavelength Chiroptical Reporters

Molecular hosts capable of chiroptical
sensing of complexed guest
molecules offer an attractive alternative to conventional methods
for the analysis of the absolute configuration and enantiopurity.
Sensors based on the Pfeiffer effect rely on complexation-driven asymmetric
transformation of the first kind and can produce a chiroptical signal
against an otherwise null background. To be most effective, the wavelength
of the induced chiroptical sensor readout should be free and clear
of interfering signals coming from the sample under investigation.
In this study, we report the introduction of stereodynamic zinc complexes
of antenna biphenols, a new class of sensors bearing antenna-like
appendages that can extend the wavelength of the chiroptical signal
while also improving enantioselective guest recognition.