Dangling arms: A tetrahedral supramolecular host with partially encapsulated guests

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.200502209

A protruding tail: A guest composed of a cationic sandwich complex, an alkyl chain, and a sulfonate anionic group is partially incorporated within a host [Ga₄L₆]^12- cluster (see scheme). The cationic head group is quickly incorporated into the cavity of the host, while the sulfonate unit at the other end of the chain is not, as the alkyl sulfonate tail protrudes through an opening in a triangular face of the tetrahedral cluster. (Figure Presented).