Using 80% vol aqueous DMSO as the reaction medium for transesterification of an RNA model substrate 2-hydroxypropyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate allows one to observe catalysis in buffer mixtures composed of highly basic components such as guanidines, amidines or alkylamines, which provide up to 10³-fold accelerations over the background reaction in the 0.01–0.1 M concentration range. The rate law k_obs = k₁[B] + k₂[B][BH⁺] was established indicating contributions from both simple general base catalysis and the reaction involving concerted action of neutral (B) and protonated (BH⁺ ) forms of the buffer. The catalytic efficiency of guanidinium and amidinium cations is 10 times larger than that of more acidic ammonium cations. Rate constants k₁ and k₂ obey the Brønsted equations with the slopes 0.77 and 0.69 respectively. Proton inventory for k₂ (B = guanidine) in D₂O/H₂O mixtures gives two fractionation factors ϕ₁ = 0.48 and ϕ₂ = 1.26 for normal and inverse isotope effects respectively. The former results from the proton transfer to B and the latter from the binding of guanidinium cation to the phosphate group as follows from observation of an inverse solvent isotope effect for the binding of guanidinium and amidinium cations to a phosphodiester anion. The results of kinetic studies together with analysis of transition state stabilization free energies for guanidinium and amidinium cations show that the protonated buffer component acts via electrostatic transition state stabilization rather than proton transfer, which may be possible for a guanidinium assisted hydroxide catalyzed reaction.

This work reports on two thiourea-based receptors with pyridine and amine units including 1-naphthyl (MT1N) and 4-nytrophenyl (MT4N) as signaling units. For both compounds, their affinity and signaling ability toward various anions of different geometry and basicity in DMSO were studied using UV-vis, fluorescence, and ¹H NMR techniques. Anion recognition studies revealed that both MT1N and MT4N have, in general, high affinities toward basic anions. In this regard, a higher acidity of the MT4N receptor was demonstrated. Furthermore, MT4N has a higher affinity for fluoride (log K₁ = 5.98) than for the other anions and can effectively detect it through colorimetric changes that can be monitored by the UV-vis technique. The interaction between receptors and anions mainly involves the hydrogens of the amino and thiourea groups of the former. Complementary single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and molecular modeling at the DFT level were also performed.

Two bis-urea type receptors were synthesized containing a polyether bridge and two 4-nitrophenyl groups as chromogenic units, R1 and R2. Molecular recognition studies of receptors towards different tetraalkylammonium and alkali metal salts were carried out in DMSO by UV-Vis and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The receptors were found to have high affinity for diverse anions and ion-pairs, showing the highest affinities towards the tetramethylammonium and sodium salts. The cation binding ability of the receptors was evidenced by means ¹H NMR, mass spectrometric ESI⁺ studies and the crystal structures of some precursors. Additionally, the molecular modelling at the DFT level of the tetramethylammonium acetate complexes illustrates the potential ion-pair binding ability of the receptors: the anion is recognized through strong hydrogen bonds from the NH─ groups from the two urea sites, while the cation is bound by a combination of cation─π, C-H···O and C-H···π interactions.