Publications

A nonplanar porphyrin-based receptor molecule for chiral amine ligands

Shelnutt, John A.; Shelnutt, John A.

A novel porphyrin-based receptor molecule for chiral amine ligands is described in which nonplanarity of the porphyrin macrocycle is used to orient the ligand and to enhance porphyrin-ligand interactions. The porphyrin macrocycle provides a versatile platform upon which to build elaborate superstructures, and this feature coupled with a rich and well-developed synthetic chemistry has led to the synthesis of many elegant models of heme protein active sites and numerous porphyrin-based receptor molecules. One design feature which is not usually considered in the design of porphyrin-based receptor molecules is nonplanarity of the porphyrin ring, although there are a few systems such as the pyridine sensitive Venus Flytrap and the chirality-memory molecule which illustrate that nonplanar porphyrin-based receptors can display unique and interesting behavior. Given the novel properties of these receptors and the continuing interest in the effects of nonplanarity on the properties of porphyrins the authors decided to investigate in more detail the potential applications of nonplanarity in the design of porphyrin-based receptors. Herein, they describe the design, synthesis, and characterization of a new kind of nonplanar porphyrin-based receptor molecule for chiral amines.