Bambus[6]uril as a novel macrocyclic receptor for the nitrate anion.

By using quantum mechanical DFT calculations, the most probable structure of the bambus[6]uril x NO3(-) anionic complex species was derived. In this complex having C3 symmetry, the nitrate anion NO3(-), included in the macrocyclic cavity, is bound by twelve weak hydrogen bonds between methine hydrogen atoms on the convex face of glycoluril units and the considered NO3(-) ion.