title: A versatile synthesis of electroactive stilbenoprismands for effective binding of metal cations.
abstract: A versatile synthesis of a new class of polyaromatic receptors (stilbenoprismands) containing a Delta-shaped cavity similar to that of the pi-prismand together with an intimately coupled electroactive stilbenoid moiety was accomplished via an efficient intramolecular McMurry coupling reaction. The presence of the Delta-shaped cavity in stilbenoprismands allows an efficient binding of a single silver cation as probed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Electron-rich stilbenoprismands undergo a ready oxidation to their highly robust cation-radical and dicationic salts. X-ray structure determination of a representative dicationic stilbenoprismand showed that the charges were largely localized on the tetraarylethylene moiety, which results in a twisting of the ethylenic C=C bond by approximately 35 degrees. Moreover, the electronic coupling among the stilbenoid and pi-prismand moieties in various stilbenoprismands was briefly probed by optical methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881, USA.
authors.forename: Paromita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debroy
authors.forename: Sergey V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lindeman
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rathore