The phototransformation of benzimidazole (BZ) and of the benzimidazole pesticide thiabendazole (TBZ) was investigated in aqueous solution in the absence and presence of the supramolecular host cucurbit[8]uril (CB8). ESI-MS and NMR reveal that both compounds form stable 1 : 2 host-guest complexes with CB8 (BZ2@CB8, TBZ2@CB8). The phototransformation of free BZ leads to dehydrodimerization, while...

We have shown, for the first time, that a three component system is capable of aligning gold nanorods (AuNRs) through supramolecular host-guest interactions leading to control over AuNR end-to-end assembly. Viologen end-functionalised AuNRs were prepared that were capable of selectively binding to a cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) macrocyclic host molecule. These end-functionalised AuNRs could particip...

The rates of acid hydrolysis of N-benzoyl-cadaverine (1), mono-N-(tert-butoxy)carbonyl cadaverine (2), and benzaldoxime (3) with binding motifs for cucurbit[6]uril (1,2) and cucurbit[7]uril (1,3) were investigated in the absence and presence of these hosts. Significant rate enhancements (up to a factor of ca. 300 for the hydrolysis of 3) were observed. Competitive inhibition due to encapsulatio...

Association constants of a bis-(acetylguanidinium)ferrocene dication to various (di)carboxylates were determined through UV-vis titrations. Association constant values greater than 10(4) M(-1) were determined for both phthalate and maleate carboxylates to the bis-(acetylguanidinium)ferrocene salt in pure water. Density functional theory computations of the binding enthalpy of the rigid carboxyl...

Tumor formation in cucurbit cultivars resulting from infection by various strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes is environmentally affected. In all instances, tumors could be induced on excised cotyledons while inoculating attached cotyledons or stems resulted in no tumor formation. In addition, buttercup squash (Cucurbita maxima Duch. buttercup) was most susceptible...

The current study deals with host-guest complex formation between cucurbit [7] urils as host and lansoprazole as guesti using PM3 (semi empirical molecules orbital calculations) also DFT calculations. In this complex, the formation of hydrogen bonding may be occurred through portal oxygen atoms(O2) of cucurbit [7] urils and amine groups (NH 2 )of the drug. The energies of HOMO and LUMO orbital’...

The supramolecular chemistry of cucurbituril, a synthetic receptor, is fascinating because of the remarkable guest binding behavior of the host. Studies in the field, however, have met with limitations, since the only species known was the hexameric macrocyclic compound, cucurbit[6]uril. Recently we synthesized its homologues, cucurbit[n]uril (n = 5, 7, 8), and derivatives. These new members of...

The macrocyclic host cucurbit[7]uril exhibits highly specific inhibitory effects on the activity of proteases, which can be analyzed by a host-substrate complexation model.

We report a method for blocking interactions between (129)Xe and cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) until activation by a specific chemical event. We synthesized a CB6-rotaxane that allowed no (129)Xe interaction with the CB6 macrocycle component until a cleavage event released the CB6, which then produced a (129)Xe@CB6 NMR signal. This contrast-upon-activation (129)Xe NMR platform allows for modular synthe...

The first example of paramagnetic rotaxane containing cucurbit[6]urils has been reported and characterized both by ESR and NMR spectroscopy.