LAUSR

A scalable synthesis of calix[n]furan[4-n]pyrroles and their fully reduced analogues, the novel calix[n]tetrahydrofuran[4-n]pyrrolidines obtained by hydrogenation of their aromatic relatives, was developed and optimized. The hydrogenation reaction was studied at several selected pressures (P = 100, 50 and 15 bars) and high diastereoselectivity was observed for the four possible calix[n]tetrahydrofuran[4-n]pyrrolidines. Moreover, two of the saturated macrocycles were obtained with good overall yields starting from the easily accessible calix[4]furan. The conformation of the eight macrocycles was analysed by X-ray diffraction and while a classical 1,3-alternate conformation of this type of compound was observed for the aromatic macrocycles, two distinct types of conformation were observed with the calix[n]tetrahydrofuran[4-n]pyrrolidines.