Preferred dimerization of tetra-tolyl- and tetra-tosylurea derivatives of flexible and rigidified calix[4]arenes

The dimerization of tetratolyl- and tetratosyl-urea derivatives 1 and 2, derived from a tetrapentoxy calix[4]arene in the cone conformation and of the corresponding tetra-urea derivatives 3 and 4, in which the cone conformation is rigidified by the two crown-3 tethers, have been studied. All six possible equimolar mixtures were examined by ¹H NMR using CDCl₃ and CD₂Cl₂ as solvents. While no heterodimers are found for the combinations 1/3 and 2/4 in either solvent, all remaining combinations lead to the (exclusive) formation of heterodimers in CD₂Cl₂. In CDCl₃ heterodimers are only observed for the combinations of 3 with 2 or 4. These results are discussed in terms of entropic and enthalpic contributions and compared with MD-simulations in a box of chloroform solvent molecules.