A functionalised macrobicycle complex available for surface immobilisation and protein grafting

The conversion of both the racemic and resolved forms of the Co(III) complex of an hydroxymethyl-substituted tripodal hexamine to inacrobicycles via reaction with formaldehyde and nitromethane (and subsequent reduction of the product) has been conducted. The prospect is that it will provide cage complexes in which the hydroxyl substituent is sufficiently remote from the metal ion centre for its nucelophilicity to be largely unaffected. X-ray structure determinations have been used to characterise these new cage species as well as some complexes of the precursor hexamine and its mono-aminal. The electrochemistry and optical activity of the complexes have also been studied in detail.