Terpene Cyclizations inside a Supramolecular Catalyst: Leaving-Group-Controlled Product Selectivity and Mechanistic Studies.

The tail-to-head terpene cyclization is arguably one of the most complex reactions found in nature. The hydrogen-bond-based resorcinarene capsule represents the first man-made enzyme-like catalyst that is capable of catalyzing this reaction. Based on noncovalent interactions between the capsule and the substrate, the product selectivity can be tuned by using different leaving groups. A detailed mechanistic investigation was performed to elucidate the reaction mechanism. For the cyclization of geranyl acetate, it was found that the cleavage of the leaving group is the ratedetermining step. Furthermore, the studies revealed that trace amounts of acid are required as cocatalyst. A series of control experiments demonstrate that a synergistic interplay between the supramolecular capsule and the acid traces is required for catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]