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Molecular tweezers

Molecular tweezers, sometimes termed molecular clips, are noncyclic compounds with open cavities capable of binding guests.^[3] The open cavity of the molecular tweezers binds guests using non-covalent bonding including hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, π-π interactions, and/or electrostatic effects. They are analogous to macrocyclic molecular receptors except the two arms that bind the guest molecule are only connected at one end.

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Examples

An example of molecular tweezers was reported by Lehn and coworkers is capable of binding aromatic guests.^[1] The molecular tweezers are composed of two anthracene arms held at a distance that allows aromatic guests to gain π-π interactions from both.

An example of molecular tweezers for fullerenes called a buckycatcher has been reported.^[2] The molecular tweezer is composed of two concaved corannulene pincers that complement the the surface of the convex fullerene guest. An association constant of 8600 M^-1 between the host buckycatcher and a C60 fullerene was using ¹H NMR spectroscopy.

References

^ ^a ^b A. Petitjean, R. G. Khoury, N. Kyritsakas and J. M. Lehn (2004). "Dynamic Devices. Shape Switching and Substrate Binding in Ion-Controlled Nanomechanical Molecular Tweezers". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126 (21): 6637-6647. doi:10.1021/ja031915r.
^ ^a ^b A. Sygula, F. R. Fronczek, R. Sygula, P. W. Rabideau and M. M. Olmstead (2007). "A Double Concave Hydrocarbon Buckycatcher". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 (13): 3842-3843. doi:10.1021/ja070616p.
^ Frank-Gerrit Klärner and Björn Kahlert (2003). "Molecular Tweezers and Clips as Synthetic Receptors. Molecular Recognition and Dynamics in Receptor-Substrate Complexes". Acc. Chem. Res. 36 (12): 919 -932. doi:10.1021/ar0200448.