Synthesis and complexation study of new ExTTF-based hosts for fullerenes.

A new series of exTTF hosts has been synthesized for supramolecular binding study of fullerenes C60 and C70. Binding constants for C60 in chlorobenzene, toluene, toluene-CH2Cl2 and CS2 have been calculated for different hosts and a direct structure-affinity relationship has been established. As predicted, receptors with two exTTF moieties (1, 3 and 4) have demonstrated higher binding abilities toward C70 than C60. Depending on the linker used to attach the exTTF unit to the core of the host, different binding modes (1 : 1 and 2 : 1) have been obtained.