Design and synthesis of squaramide-based molecular machines
Item
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Title
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Design and synthesis of squaramide-based molecular machines
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:fa5e386b5b35:10222
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identifier
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10294
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Creator
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Ramalingam, Vijayakumar,
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Contributor
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Rajeev S. Muthyala
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Date
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2009
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Organic chemistry | anion receptor | chloride receptor | copper catalyst C-N | intramolecular hydrogen bonding | molecular valves | Squaramide
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Abstract
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Artificial molecular machines are sought after in a wide variety of fields. They are useful in the construction of nanodevices (molecular valves, brakes, nanocars, rotors and ratchets), for ion transport and also for optical data storage. In an effort to develop new ion-transport and drug delivery strategies we became interested in designing molecular machines based on amide derivatives of squaric acid (squaramides). In this study, we first determined that secondary diaryl squaramides, which exist in the extended ZZ conformation, are excellent neutral receptors for biologically important anions such as chloride, carboxylate, and dihydrogen monophosphate. Next, we envisioned a molecular valve approach to regulate anion binding to squaramides via changes in the external environment (for example, a change in solvent polarity). We reasoned that in non-polar solvents, intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl groups and the squaramide NHs would block anion binding (OFF state) while in a polar solvent disruption of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and reorientation of the carbonyl allows anion binding (ON state). Using ortho benzoyl substituted squaramides, we successfully applied the molecular valve approach to chloride binding. We subsequently studied the generality of the molecular valve approach with other ortho substituents such as secondary and tertiary amides, esters, and nitro groups. We found that the success of the molecular valve approach depends on whether, in a given solvent, intramolecular hydrogen bonding is stronger or weaker relative to intermolecular hydrogen bonding with chloride ion. A significant effort was also spent on developing tertiary squaramide-based molecular machines for drug delivery. Initial studies revealed that simple (for example, N, N'-dimethyl derivatives) tertiary diaryl squaramide exhibited a preference for folded EE conformation regardless of solvent polarity. For our goal of transforming these squaramides to functional molecular machines, we decided to exploit the hydrophobic effect. In non-polar solvents we anticipated that the tertiary squaramides would exhibit a preference for EE conformation while in aqueous medium we reasoned that the conformation would switch to ZZ driven by the hydrophobic effect. However we soon experienced major synthetic challenges. The literature procedures for the synthesis of these tertiary diaryl squaramides routinely resulted in low yields with significant squaraine impurities. We therefore developed a novel copper-based method to synthesize symmetrical tertiary diaryl squaramides. Importantly, this method also enabled synthesis of unsymmetrical tertiary diaryl squaramides. Syntheses, conformational preferences, and our attempts at developing hydrophobically driven molecular machines will also be discussed in this dissertation.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Chemistry
