Novel Host Structures for the Selective Inclusion of Aromatic and Aliphatic Guests in Aqueous Solution

Thirty-membered cyclic hexalactams of the type 1, each with six α-, β-, or γ-pyridylmethyl side-arms, are novel host compounds. In aqueous solution, they can trap both aromatic as well as aliphatic organic neutral molecules. In all the guest molecules investigated, 1 (R  β-pyridylmethyl) induces the strongest upfield shifts of the 1H-NMR signals. With respect to the desired enzyme model character it is interesting that 1, R = α-pyridylmethyl, solvates salts such as NaMnO4 in CH2Cl2.