Multiple Hydrogen Bonds Tuning Guest/Host Excited-State Proton Transfer Reaction: Its Application in Molecular Recognition

摘要

Among various types of approaches for biorecognition, the principle of using hydrogen bonds to confer binding strength and selectivity is of particular interest mainly due to their relative flexibility in geometry compared to rigid covalent bonds. Because guest molecules of biological interest may possess various numbers of proton-donating and/or -accepting groups, the design and syntheses of host receptors providing multiple hydrogen-bonding sites are necessary to maximize the recognition capacity. We further proposed that induced by the multiple hydrogen bonds, the redistribution of electrons might result in unusual photophysical properties such as the host/guest type of excited-state proton-transfer (ESPT) reaction,2 providing a superb opportunity for enhancing signal transduction.