Novel C2-symmetric macrocycles bearing diamide-diester groups: synthesis and enantiomeric recognition for primary alkyl ammonium salts.

We synthesized a series of novel macrocycles with diamide-diester groups (S,S)-1, (S,S)-2, (S,S)-3, and (R,R)-1, derived from dimethyloxalate and amino alcohols by high dilution technique, and evaluated enantiomeric recognition properties of these macrocycles toward primary alkyl ammonium salts by 1H NMR titration. Taking into account the host employed, important differences were observed in the Ka values of (R)-Am and (S)-Am for (S,S)-1 and (R,R)-1 hosts, KS/KR = 5.55 and KR/KS = 3.65, Delta Delta Go = 0.43 and -0.32 kJ mol-1, respectively. There seems a general tendency for the host to include the guests with the same absolute configuration.