Design and synthesis of a unique ditopic macrocyclic fluorescent receptor containing furan ring as a spacer for the recognition of dicarboxylic acids

A macrocyclic fluorescent receptor was designed and synthesised and the binding study with three different types of dicarboxylic acids was performed with the receptor being found to have appreciable association constants. Downfield shifts of specific amide protons in 1:1 binding by (1)H NMR and the quenching in the fluorescence spectra reveal strong binding and thus unambiguously support the complexation of the receptor 1 with dicarboxylic acids. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.