Cyclicurilarenes: Hybridizing Bambusurils with Macrocyclic Arenes

Org Lett. 2026 Apr 3;28(13):3982-3986. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6c00209. Epub 2026 Mar 25.

Abstract

Our cyclicurilarene receptor family has been extended by coupling of 2,4-dimethylglycoluril with bis(bromomethyl)-substituted dimethoxybenzene through nucleophilic substitution, yielding macrocycles with conformational flexibility that can adapt to different-sized substrates, resembling bambusurils. Anti/syn-configurations of the two glycoluril units in "Ding"-shaped cyclicurilarenes induce distinct acetonitrile positions in the solid state, and inward-oriented glycoluril forms intracavity hydrogen bonds with alanine derivative in chloroform. Four- and six-membered cyclicurilarenes featuring alternating dimethoxybenzene and glycoluril units were synthesized.