One-Pot Synthesis of Tridentate Bicyclocalixarene Cage Molecules.

Efficient one-pot synthesis of tridentate bicyclocalixarenes was developed by condensing phloroglucinol with dechlorinated pyrimidine or triazine with a yield up to 58%. These cage-like molecules adopt a symmetric three-blade propeller structure with different terminal function groups and arm spans ranging from 7.5 to 15.8 Å. Due to the 1,3-alternate configuration of intermediate heterocalixarenes, the cage molecules can be prepared only with benzene rings as the upper and lower caps. They will be an ideal scaffold for the preparation of ultrathin two-dimensional materials.