Host-guest supramolecular polymers based on phosphonate cavitands

Abstract Supramolecular polymers are the main topic of this thesis. Such polymers are based on well defined architectures in which the building blocks are held together by non-covalent interactions. Such interactions result to be reversible and tunable. Consequently supramolecular polymers may have many advantages over traditional polymers because of easy workability both in solution and in the melt. Also they might respond differently to high levels of stress since the secondary interactions holding the chains together are constantly being broken and reformed. Chapter 2 reports the diastereoselective synthesis of tetraphosphonate cavitands and their complexation properties toward charged N-methyl derivatives. Chapter 3 and 4 report the synthesis of the monomer units based on functionalized tetraphosphonate cavitands for self-assembly-disassembly of polymers and the characterization of the supramolecular architectures obtained. In Chapter 5, the Tiiii cavitands that form very stable complexes with N-methylammonium salts were used as sequestrant agents in the monomethylation reactions of primary amines, achieving very high selectivity.