Self-templated synthesis of an orthoformate in,in-cryptand and its bridgehead inversion by dynamic covalent exchange†
Abstract
We report the template-free dynamic covalent self-assembly of a small orthoformate cryptand, which appears to be driven by the formation of two sets of intramolecular, four-centre hydrogen bonds. In contrast to their nitrogen-bridgehead counterparts, orthoformate cryptands do not spontaneously invert, but require dynamic covalent exchange to do so.