Janusarene: A Homoditopic Molecular Host.

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Designing molecular hosts with multiple binding sites is crucial for controlled guest complexation.
• Janusarene represents a new class of homoditopic hosts with unique structural features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present janusarene, a novel homoditopic molecular host with two back-to-back nanocavities.
• To investigate the binding and alignment capabilities of janusarene for various guest molecules.
• To characterize the host-guest interactions and the properties of resulting complexes.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of janusarene and a monotopic control host.
• Host-guest complexation studies with fullerene C60 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• Characterization using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analysis.

Main Results:

• Janusarene successfully binds and aligns spherical C60 and planar PAHs (pyrene, perylene, 9,10-dimethylanthracene).
• Pairwise encapsulation of PAHs by janusarene leads to the formation of PAH dimers.
• These PAH dimers exhibit distinct spectroscopic properties compared to isolated PAHs.

Conclusions:

• Janusarene is an effective molecular host for concurrent binding and alignment of diverse guests.
• The unique structure of janusarene enables the creation of novel supramolecular architectures with tailored properties.
• This work opens avenues for developing new materials and sensors based on host-guest chemistry.