The Effect of Substitution Pattern on Binding Ability in Regioisomeric Ion Pair Receptors Based on an Aminobenzoic Platform.

A series of ditopic ion pair receptors equipped with 4-nitrophenylurea and 1-aza-18-crown-6-ether linked by ortho-(1), meta-(2), and para-(3) substituted benzoic acid were readily synthesized in three steps from commercially available materials. The binding properties of these regioisomeric receptors were determined using UV-vis and H-1 NMR spectroscopy in MeCN and in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography. The solution studies revealed that, apart from carboxylates, all the anions tested formed stronger complexes in the presence of sodium cations. Receptors 2 and 3 were found to interact with ion pairs with remarkably higher affinity than ortho-substituted 1. H-1 NMR titration experiments showed that both urea NH protons interacted with anions with comparable strength in the case of receptors 2 and 3, but only one of the NHs was effective in anion binding in the case of receptor 1. X-ray analysis of the crystal structure of receptor 1 and 1 center dot NaPF6 complex showed that binding was hampered due to the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Analysis of the crystal structures of 2 center dot NaBr and 3 center dot NaBr complexes revealed that proper mutual orientation of binding domains was responsible for the improved binding of the sodium salts.