4,4′-(Fluorene-9,9-diyl)diphenol:: a new versatile building block for clathrate type and macrocyclic host-guest inclusion

4,4'-(Fluorene-9,9-diyl)diphenol (1) is demonstrated to be both an effective clathrate host in itself and a useful construction element to form a rigid macrocyclic host compound 2. The X-ray crystal structures of 1 and of its inclusion compounds with acetonitrile (1:1) and ethanol (1:2) as well as the inclusion compound of 2 with dimethyl sulfoxide (1:4) and the mixed-guest inclusion compounds of 2 with 2-picoline, 3-picoline or 4-picoline and acetone (2:2:1) are reported. Inclusion compounds of 1 with acetonitrile and ethanol are studied by thermal analysis.