Hw. Gibson et al., SYNTHESES OF MONOFUNCTIONAL DERIVATIVES OF M-PHENYLENE-16-CROWN-5, BIS(M-PHENYLENE)-32-CROWN-10, AND M-PHENYLENE-P-PHENYLENE-33-CROWN-10, Journal of organic chemistry, 62(14), 1997, pp. 4798-4803
A series of monofunctional bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10 and m-phenylen
e-p-phenylene-33-crown-10 derivatives has been synthesized. Cyclizatio
n of m- and p-bis(omega-chlorotetraethyleneoxy)benzenes (6) with 5-sub
stituted resorcinols 1 using pseudo-high dilution conditions in DMF an
d either CsF or K2CO3 as base afforded carbomethoxy-1,3-phenylene-m-ph
enylene-32-crown-10 (7a, 46%), carbomethoxy-1,3-phenylene-p-phenylene-
33-crown-10 (7b, 48%), 5-(benzyloxy)-1,3-phenylen-m-phenylene-32-crown
-10 (11b, 51%). Unsubstituted m-phenylene-p-phenylene-33-crown-10 (15)
was also made (29%) in this way. Functional group conversions of the
bis-phenylene macrocycles yielded 5-carboxy-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylene-
32-crown-10 (8a), droxymethyl)-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylene-32-crawn-10 (
9a), bromomethyl)-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylene-32-crown-10 (10a), 5-hydro
xy-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylene-32-crown-10 (12a), 5-hydroxy-1,3-phenylen
e-p-phenylene-33-crown-10 (12b), imidomethyl)-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylen
e-32-crown-10 (13a), and aminomethyl)-1,3-phenylene-m-phenylene-32-cro
wn-10 (14a). Similarly 5-carbomethoxy-1,3-phenylene-16-crown-5 (4) was
transformed to the corresponding acid (16), hydroxymethyl (17), formy
l(18), bromomethyl (19), phthalimidomethyl (20), azidomethyl (21), and
aminomethyl (22) derivatives. These compounds are building blocks for
supramolecular assemblies (as shown by the synthesis of a Schiff base
(23) from 18 and a diester (24) from 4,4'-biphenol and 17) and useful
endcapping or pendant host components of macromolecules.