Design, Synthesis and Inclusion Properties of Butterfly-shaped Hosts

Two kinds of “butterfly-shaped” host compounds, 2,5-bis(triphenylmethyl)hydroquinone (1) and 2,5-bis(diphenylmethyl)hydroquinone (2) were designed and synthesized. 1 and 2 can form inclusion complexes with various small organic molecules. These inclusion complexes were determined by¹H NMR spectroscopy, and the results were as follows: 1·DMF (1:2), 1·DMSO (1:2), 1·pyridine (1:2), 1·cyclopentanone (2:3); 2·DMF (1:2), 2·THF (1:1), 2·benzaldehyde (1:2), 2·2,5-hexanedione (1:1), 2·N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (1:3). The complex structure of 2 with benzaldehyde was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and the crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonds.