Facile synthesis and anion binding properties of a preorganized macrocyclic receptor

Abstract

Herein, we report a novel Schiff base macrocyclic receptor (MR). The structure of MR was characterized by NMR, UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, revealing that it was a rigid and preorganized planar π-conjugated fluorescent macrocycle. Furthermore, MR showed effective binding properties with tetrabutylammonium halides TBAX (X = Cl, Br, and I) which were investigated by the NMR titration method and molecular modelling.