The effect of alcohol structures on the interaction mode with the hexameric capsule of resorcin[4]arene

After more than a century of research on resorcin[4]arenes (1) it is clear that such systems form spontaneously [1 ₆(H ₂O) ₈]-type hexameric capsules in wet, non-polar, organic solvents. However, the interactions of these hexameric capsules with alcohols are far from being solved. Here we provide the results of an extensive study on the interaction of different alcohols with the hexameric capsules of resorcin[4]arene 1 a by focusing on the exchange of magnetization manifested in diffusion NMR measurements of such capsular systems. We found that some alcohols such as 2-octyl-1-dodecanol and 1-octadecanol do not interact with the hexamers of 1 a, whereas other alcohols such as 3-ethyl-3-pentanol, 2-ethyl-1-butanol and more act as simple guests and are simply encapsulated in the hexamers. Others alcohols such as 3-pentanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol and others, are part of the hexameric structure where they can exchange magnetization with alcohols in the bulk. The bulkier alcohols, due to an increase of the chain length or in branching, have a higher tendency to be encapsulated rather than being part of the hexameric capsule superstructure. This study demonstrate the unique information that diffusion NMR spectroscopy can provide on supramolecular systems in solution and on the precaution that should be exercised when analyzing diffusion NMR data of such dynamic supramolecular capsules. Structure matters: Locating alcohols in the solution of hexameric capsules may be a difficult task. Diffusion NMR spectroscopy comes to the rescue and enables the detection of the different interaction modes of structurally different alcohols with the hexameric capsule of resorcin[4]arene (see scheme).