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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > December  >
Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Featured Molecules
Nanoscale Molecular Tweezers
William F. Coleman
Chemistry Department, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481

Cover
December 2004
Vol. 81 No. 12
p. 1818

Full Text
The featured molecules of this month are drawn from the “Research Advances” column by Angela G. King, and represent some of the structures from the research on molecular tweezers (published in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 8124). The structures below are based on the figure on page 1690 showing two types of receptors that switch between U and W shapes upon coordination of soft metal cations, acting in the manner of mechanical tweezers.

When viewing these molecules in Chime you must render in ball and stick or space filling modes in order to see the incorporated metal ions. In several cases the torsion angles connecting the anthracene substituents to the rest of the molecule are not well defined and have been drawn as either coplanar or orthogonal to the central ring system. At a moderate level of theory, the torsion angle in those instances where it has been set to 90° displays a broad minimum ranging for 50–130°.

Fully manipulable (Chime) versions of these molecules appear below.

These and other molecules are available at Only@JCE Online.

Py–Pym–Py Receptors

Image of molecule.

Figure 1. Pyridine–pyrimidine–pyridine (U shaped).
Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

 

Image of molecule.

Figure 2. Pyridine–pyrimidine–pyridine
(transition from U shaped to W shaped).
Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

 

Image of molecule.

Figure 3. Pyridine–pyrimidine–pyridine (W shaped).
Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

Acr2 Receptors

Image of molecule.

Figure 4. WAcr2 (W shaped). Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

Image of molecule.

Figure 5. UAcr2 (U shaped). Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

(CONHAnt)2 Receptors

Image of molecule.

Figure 6. W(CONHAnt)2 (W shaped). Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

Image of molecule.

Figure 7. U(CONHAnt)2 (U shaped). Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

Substrates

Image of molecule.

Figure 8. TNF. Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

Image of molecule.

Figure 9. TCNQ. Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

 

Image of molecule.

Figure 10. 1,10-Phenanthroline (phen).
Interactive Chime-based structure (top); static structure graphic (bottom).

More Information
*  Citation
Coleman, William F. J. Chem. Educ. 2004 81 1818.
*  Keywords
Internet; Molecular Modeling / Dynamics; Molecular Properties / Structure; Teaching / Learning Aids
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
November 1, 2004
November 9, 2004
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > December  > Page 1818


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