C-Methyl resorcin[4]arene packing motifs with alkyl ammonium salts: From molecular capsules to channels and tubes

Abstract

A variety of packing motifs of C-methyl resorcinarene were obtained when complexed with small alkyl ammonium salts of different size and shape. Using bromide and chloride salts of the small quaternary alkyl ammonium cations, tetramethyl ammonium and dimethyldiethyl ammonium, leads to a grid-like packing of solvent mediated dimeric capsules while the use of salts of larger diquaternary cations bearing a 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) scaffold produces solvent/anion mediated chains and channels or tubular structures. The connecting interactions between resorcinarenes in each structure are hydrogen bonding and/or π⋯π interactions.