Exploring the host compound dynamics of 1,4-phenylene-bis(di-p-fluorophenylmethanol) in mixed pyridines

Abstract

In this investigation, the wheel-and-axle host compound, 1,4-phenylene-bis(di-p-fluorophenylmethanol) (H), was demonstrated to have inclusion ability for each of PYR, 2MP, 3MP and 4MP (1:1, 1:2, 1:2 and 1:2 were the H: G ratios). In the equimolar guest competition experiments, H was observed to have an overwhelming affinity for PYR and 4MP relative to 2MP and 3MP. In fact, selectivity coefficients calculated from the non-equimolar binary guest competition experiments suggested that this host compound would be an efficient candidate for the separation of all PYR/2MP mixtures and a 40:60 4MP/3MP solution through host-guest chemistry strategies. SCXRD analyses established the preferred guests (PYR and 4MP) to be involved in significantly shorter stabilizing classical hydrogen bonding interactions with H, explaining the selectivity behaviour of this host compound in the guest mixtures. Additionally, Hirshfeld surface considerations also explained this behaviour, but only for PYR. Furthermore, thermal analyses were used to ascertain the relative thermal stabilities of the four complexes and, satisfyingly, the PYR- and 4MP-containing complexes possessed the greater thermal stabilities compared with H·2(2MP) and H·2(3MP), as was demonstrated by a comparison of their guest release onset temperatures.