A ureidocytosine (UCyt) module with a pendant amine linker at N-1 has been prepared for applications in supramolecular quadruple hydrogen bonded array synthesis. Subsequent conjugation to four amine terminated telechelic polymers led to the formation of oligomeric DDAA arrays, as determined by NMR diffusion measurements, establishing that N-1 as well as N-9 ureidocytosine polymeric arrays can readily be accessed.

Cytosine modules have been investigated for applications in supramolecular quadruple hydrogen bonded arrays. Notably, the importance of the C-5–H in the formation of unfolded and folded arrays by substitution to C-5–F was established. In addition, the incorporation of different alkyl chain lengths at N-1 and N-9 indicated that longer alkyl chains give rise to more of the unfolded rotamer, with the chain length and degree of unsaturation at N-1 having the major effect. Methyl cytosine modules were also able to readily form hetero-associated Upy–UCyt dimers as efficiently as the hexyl cytosine modules and a polyadipate telechelic polymer was used to prepare cytosine polymers.

In view of the range of properties required from supramolecular materials, there is clearly a need for new strong quadruple hydrogen bonded modules, which can be used in polymer or copolymer synthesis via the self- or hetero-association of complimentary units. A cytosine-based module has been prepared for supramolecular applications using a straightforward synthetic approach. The cytosine module was designed such that it does not undergo tautomeric changes observed with ureidopyrimidinones. The cytosine module was capable of forming quadruple hydrogen bonded assemblies both in solution and in the solid state, and the structure of the dimeric self-assembled unit was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray and solution NMR techniques. The dimerization constant was estimated to be greater than 9 x 106 M-1 in deuterated benzene. The capacity of the cytosine-based module to strongly hetero-associate with the ureidopyrimidinone module was demonstrated, and a supramolecular polymer of a bifunctional unit incorporating the cytosine module and PEG-based linker was described.

[structure: see text] 2-Ureido-4-[1H]-pyrimidinones have been reported to dimerize via quadruple hydrogen bonding systems with dimerization constants >10(6) M(-1) in CDCl3. The dimerization constant, K(dim), is dependent on the solvent as well as the ring-substituents present, where previously alkyl (e.g., R1 = Me) and aromatic moieties (e.g., R1 = p-NO2C6H4, R1 = C6H2(OC13H27)3) have been incorporated at the C-6 position. To assess the influence of alternative, functionalizable, electron-donating groups on the dimerization motif and tautomeric distribution of isomers, the synthesis of compounds possessing aminophenyl functionality at the C-6 position has been achieved. NMR spectroscopy chemical shift analysis revealed that compound 2 (R1 = p-NH2C6H4, R2 = C6H13) existed as the 2-ureido-4-pyrimidinol dimeric DADA array in DMSO-d6, where a dimerization constant of 46 M(-1) was determined. This is the first time that a ureidopyrimidinone quadruple hydrogen bonding DADA array has been observed in pure DMSO, a highly polar solvent. The azo-derivative 5 of compound 2 was prepared which also adopted the pyrimidin-4-ol form in DMSO-d6. Compounds 7, 10 and 11 were then synthesized containing a more hydrophilic PEG unit in the lateral chain and the tautomeric distributions were determined.

The addition of suitably protected pentaerythritols to polymer supported sulfonyl chloride with subsequent alkoxide formation and intramolecular cyclisation to generate oxetanes is described. This convenient method for the preparation of oxetanes has several advantages over analogous solution phase reactions and the methodology is extended to the preparation and use of a novel PEG-sulfonyl chloride.