Crystalline Hosts Based on the Assembly of Anthracene and Bulky Alcoholic Groups – Host Synthesis, Complex Formation, and X-ray Crystal Structures of Several Inclusion Compounds

A series of new clathrate host molecules (1–10) containing two diarylhydroxymethyl groups attached to different positions (1,5 or 1,8) of a basic anthracene construction unit have been synthesized. Their clathrate formation properties with a variety of organic guests, including amines, alcohols, ketones, and other dipolar aprotic compounds or aromatic hydrocarbons are reported (143 examples of clathrates). The inclusion properties and the clathrate stoichiometries depend in a systematic manner on the structure of the host molecules. The crystal structures of six selected clathrates of different classes of compound have been determined by X-ray diffraction.