DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF RHOMBOHEDRAL CLATHRATES FOR CONTAINMENT OF SMALL, REACTIVE GUEST SPECIES

The new hexa-hosts hexakis(p-phenoxyphenoxy)benzene 2 and its p-benzylphenoxy analogue 3, targetted at rhombohedral clathrate packing, have been prepared. X-ray measurements have established that 2 and 3 form very similar rhombohedral closed-cage structures with common trigonal space group R3BAR. The cavities of these clathrates are potentially useful for the handling of reactive reagents, examples for 2 being phosgene, thiophosgene, thionyl chloride, and methyl iodide.