Tetraaryladamantanes Mediating Crystallization

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Clemens Richert
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Analytical Chemistry
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 434506471

When organic molecules crystallize, they form infinite, ordered three-dimensional lattices of like molecular entities. Occasionally, solvent molecules are included in the crystals, particularly when the crystallizing molecules do not achieve dense packing by themselves. We recently observed that some tetraaryladamantane octaethers include a broad range of different guest molecules in their crystals, even though densely packed crystal systems are accessible to them. Among the compounds that readily form solvates with these host molecules are labile substrates for organic synthesis, reagents and BTX aromatics that are taken up via the gas phase. Encapsulation in the crystalline matrix stabilizes labile compounds and places difficult-to-crystallize molecules in spatially defined arrays. Here we propose to study the phenomenon of encapsulating organic crystals (EnOCs) in more detail. This includes the synthesis of new tetraaryladamantanes and the exploration of new encapsulation phenomena. The new EnOCs have the potential to lead to new applications in the fields of capture, molecular storage, analytical chemistry, and material sciences.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants