Cyclophane Capsule Motifs with Side Pockets

Neutral and charged multitopic cyclophane-capped anion hosts connected by three or four diamide/monoamine chains and a decomposition product with two chains have been synthesized and characterized. The chains in the two former hosts fold together to form one or two binding pockets, respectively, and FHF⁻ and several phosphate complexes have been obtained with the anions nestled in these pockets. The decomposition product also shows propensity for binding dicarboxylates, as evidenced by an isophthalate crystal structure.