title: Self-complexed deep cavitands: alkyl chains coil into a nearby cavity.
abstract: [structure: see text]. A series of self-complexing tetrabenzimidazole cavitands have been synthesized. Alkyl chains appended to the rim helically coil into the cavity in competitive organic solvents. These "flexible arms" exchange with each other, a process shown by 2D NMR to proceed via an intermediate solvent-containing species.
authors.affiliation: The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hooley
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rebek
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D012997:Solvents