Tetrakis(2,6-dimethyl-4-acetoxyphenyl)pyrene H2 containing flexible acetate functionalities at the para positions of sterically-hindered and rigid aryl rings functions as an inclusion host system. Depending on the orientations of the acetate functionalities, a variety of conformers may indeed be expected. A limited number of the crystal structures of the inclusions compounds of H2 reveal that one indeed observes 2 different conformations for the host based on the orientations of the acetate functionalities. The inclusion compound of H2 with benzene guest molecules is particularly appealing in terms of how the latter are held in trough domains of the host by weak C−H$\cdots$O and C−H$\cdots \pi$ hydrogen bonds. More experimentation and analyses of crystal structures of such systems is expected to lead to better insights toward realizing multicomponent molecular crystals in a rational manner.

We have designed and synthesized a modified Tröger’s base TB in which the sterically-rigidified aryl rings that protrude into its groove were envisaged to preclude self-inclusion. From a limited preliminary experimentation, TB has been found to exhibit guest inclusion. The X-ray determined structures of the crystals of guest-free TB and its inclusion compounds with acetonitrile and 𝑜-dichlorobenzene reveal remarkable adaptability of the TB core to undergo subtle structural changes in response to the guest that is included. The structural analyses demonstrate the fact that TB behaves like a molecular tweezer.

Diarylbenzopyrans and their annulated derivatives are a class of photochromic compounds, which have been extensively investigated for photochromism. In fact, some naphthopyrans are employed industrially in ophthalmic lens applications. Photoirradiation of 2,2-diphenylbenzopyran leads to the formation of coloredo-quinonoid intermediates. The latter revert too rapidly to allow their observation only at low temperatures (173–263 K). Annulation and other strategies are exploited to observe the colored o-quinonoid intermediates that persist for a few minutes at room temperature. We have examined photochromism of a set of silyloxysubstituted 2,2-diphenylbenzo- and naphthopyrans to explore how the mesomeric effects transmitted by the strongly e-donating silyloxy group substituted in the ring and at phenyl groups manifest in the spectrokineticproperties of their photogenerated colored o-quinonoid intermediates. We show that silyloxy substitution in the benzopyran ring leads to remarkable stabilization of the colored intermediates to enable their persistence at 283 K for a few minutes. In contrast, similar substitution in the C2-phenyl rings destabilizes the colored intermediates.