Synthesis of nano-scale shape-persistent macrocycles via hydrogen bonding-promoted formation of amide and hydrazone bonds

This paper describes the synthesis of two series of rigid macrocycles from hydrogen bonding-induced folded aryl amide and hydrazone oligomers that bear two amines or one amine and one aldehyde. The diamines reacted with diacyl chloride to produce amide macrocycles, whereas the latter underwent self-coupling reactions to afford imine macrocycles. DFT calculations revealed that the new macrocycles possess rigid planar conformations and their cavity diameters were estimated to be 1.86 nm-2.75 nm.