An effective strategy of P,N-containing macrocycle design

An effective strategy of P,N-containing macrocycle design is described, which is based on covalent self-assembly processes in the course of Mannich-type condensations in three-component systems: primary phosphine (or secondary diphosphine)–formaldehyde–diamine with spatially divided functional groups (or primary amine). This approach allowed the authors to obtain various types of macrocyclic phosphines, namely cage cyclophanes with a 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane fragment in the basic framework, cyclophanes with linear P,N-containing spacers, P,N-containing corands and the first P,N-containing cryptand with four phosphine centers.