Cofacial Organic Click Cage to Intercalate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The synthesis of a 3-fold symmetric cofacial organic cage (COC) through Cu­(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition is reported. The COC can function as an efficient receptor for carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to intercalate them in its intrinsic cavity through donor–acceptor and π···π stacking interactions. The association constants (K_a) are in the range of 3.7 × 10⁴ to 1.3 × 10⁶ M^–1. X-ray diffraction analysis authenticated that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are intercalated in the interior of the COC.