MOLECULAR RECOGNITION BY A SILICA-BOUND FULLERENE DERIVATIVE

Thermal ring opening of [3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]-2-carbomethoxyaziri dine in the presence of C-60 produces a fulleropyrrolidine derivative which is then attached covalently to HPLC silica gel. The new chromato graphic material is used to investigate binding affinities of potentia l hosts for the immobilized C-60. Exceptionally high size selectivitie s have been obtained for cyclic oligomeric compounds like calixarenes and cyclodextrins in organic and water-rich media, respectively. A num ber of rationally designed, helical-shaped peptides bind selectively t o the grafted fullerene. The mast tightly bound peptide carries two fe rrocene moieties at the periphery of a hydrophobic binding cavity comp lementary in size to C-60.