A Molecular Propeller with Three Nanohoop Blades: Synthesis, Characterization, and Solid-State Packing

Nanoscale carbon-rich molecular architectures are not only aesthetically appealing but also of practical importance for energy and biomedical technologies. Herein, we report the synthesis of cyclic-oligophenylene-based nanopropeller 1 by using an efficient synthon strategy involving sequential intramolecular bisboronate homocoupling and reductive aromatization by H2SnCl4. The nanopropeller molecules pack into a layered hexagonal lattice featuring long-ranged nano-sized channels and a total guest-accessible volume of 48%, as revealed by X-ray diffraction studies. We suggest that such a solid-state arrangement is determined by the interplay between the propeller architecture and the intermolecular van der Waals interactions.