Amino acid ester salt recognition by ferrocene-based ditopic receptor bearing oligoethylene glycol with pendant bipy subunits: CV, UV-vis and ESR studies.

The novel ferrocene-based ditopic receptor 1 was synthesized. This receptor bears two oligoethylene glycol arms with pendant 2,2'-bipyridine unit at the identical cyclopentadienyl rings, Cu(I) cation binds to 1 to form the 1 : 1 complex (1.Cu(I)) with the cavity consisting of polyether, and the resulting complex acts as a receptor for amino acid ester salts to give the ditopic complex (1.Cu(I).AAOMe-HCl). The 1H NMR spectrum of 1.Cu(I).LeuOMe-HCl exhibits strong broadening at the bipyridine region, and the ESR spectrum of the same sample gives the signals assigned as Cu(II) species. With these data, the binding of 1.Cu(I) towards AAOMe.HCl leads to the conformational change, and the Cu(I) complex is simultaneously oxidized to the Cu(II) complex.