Imidazolyl Cyclodextrins: Artificial Serine Proteases Enabling Regiospecific Reactions

Abstract

Remote control: The imidazolyl group in a series of imidazolyl cyclodextrins guides the sulfonylation of a specific hydroxy group in the presence of many others to effect a regioselective 1,22 remote functionalization (see structure; Mess=mesitylenesulfonyl, n=0–2). This process enables the establishment of a novel efficient strategy for the hetero-bifunctionalization and -trifunctionalization of cyclodextrins.