A bis-calixarene from olefin metathesis

Abstract

A ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction of tetrakis(allyloxy)calix[4]arene gave the bis calixarene, (15E,40E,60E)-65,74-bis(prop-2-en-1-yloxy)-13,18,38,43,58,63-hexaoxadodecacyclo[28.26.8.720,36.111,45.151,55.05,57.07,12.019,24.026,64.032,37.044,49.168,72]tetraheptaconta-1,3,5(57),7,9,11,15,19(24),20,22,26,28,30(64),32,34,36,40,44(49),45,47,51,53,55(65),60,68,70,72(74)-heptacosaene, C74H68O8. It is a cage formed from two calix[4]arene units joined by butenyl groups at three of the O atoms on the narrow rim. The fourth O atom on each calixarene unit is joined with an allyl group. Each of the calix[4]arene units has a flattened cone conformation in which the allyloxy-substituted aryl group and the opposite aryl group are close together and almost parallel [dihedral angle between planes = 1.09 (11)°], and the other two aryl groups are splayed outward [dihedral angle between planes = 79.53 (11)°]. No guest molecule (e.g. solvent) was observed within the cage. The alkene C atoms of one of the links between the calixarene moieties are disordered over two orientations with occupancies of 0.533 (9) and 0.467 (9).