Recent Developments in Synthesis and Applications of Triptycene and Pentiptycene Derivatives

Iptycenes are a class of aromatic compounds with arene units fused to the [2.2.2]bicyclooctatriene bridgehead system. As a result of their unique structures, more and more iptycenes, especially triptycene and pentiptycene derivatives, have been efficiently synthesized. These compounds have wide applications in many research areas, including molecular machines, molecular balances, catalysis, materials chemistry, molecular assembly, host–guest chemistry, and so on. This microreview mainly describes the developments in the synthesis and applications of triptycene and pentiptycene derivatives during the last ten years. Particular attention is paid to the synthesis and applications of hosts derived from triptycene and pentiptycene systems in recent years.