| Research Abstract |
We have tried to establish coupled electron-ion fluxes across the membrane. For this purpose, basic ideas of molecular organization have been developed, where alkali or alkaline earth metal ions were entrapped by the hosts organized by the complexation with transition metal ions. Therefore, linear as well as macrocyclic catechol-polyether host,L were synthesized. Anionic oxygen atoms from catechol parts participated into a complex formation with boron, M_1 to leave an excess anionic charge. Then partly anionic oxygen atoms from the catechol part together with neutral oxygens from polyether part were nicely arranged into a crown type configuration, into which monovalent cation, M_2 was entrapped to afford a neutral triple complex L・M_1・M_2.
Novel podands having beta-diketone units at both terminals of oligoethylene glycols have been synthesized. The podands were converted into coronands through the intramolecular complexation of two beta-ketoenolates with Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions. These metal-assisted coronands were capable of accepting additional metal ions into a macrocyclic crown ether moiety newly organized by enolate oxygens and neutral ether oxygens. Therefore, the Cu complex cooperatively extracted metal picrates from aqueous to organic phase, showing the typical selectivity of the match between the hole and ion sizes.
These hosts afforded basic devices for the transduction of biological energy and information through the coupled electron-ion fluxes.
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