Noncovalent interaction of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin with Cucurbit[7]uril: a supramolecular architecture.

Noncovalent interaction of two water-soluble synthetic macromolecules, Cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4- N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP), has been studied from the viewpoint of organizing them through supramolecular interactions and thereby modulating their functional activities. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements along with NMR results establish that CB7 crowns the N-methylpyridyl group of the TMPyP in a 1:4 stoichiometry. The overall binding constant was evaluated to be approximately 4.5 x 10 (19) M (-4). The high binding affinity, promoting a stable and extendable molecular assembly in aqueous solution, could open new frontiers in the design and synthesis of higher-order supramolecular structures with photofunctional moieties and project their utility in therapeutic applications.