Pyrogallolarenes

Pyrogallolarenes are a type of calixarene, and a subset of resorcinarenes that are substituted with a hydroxyl at the 2-position.

Pyrogallolarenes (like resorcinarenes) self-assemble into larger supramolecular structures forming a hydrogen-bonded hexamer.

The pyrogallolarene hexamer is unique from those formed from resorcinarene, in that it does not incorporate solvent molecules into the structure.

[1][2] Both in the crystalline state and in organic solvents, six molecules will form an assembly with an internal volume of around one cubic nanometer (nanocapsules) and shapes similar to the Archimedean solids.

[3] The pyrogallolarene macrocycle is typically prepared by condensation of pyrogallol and an aldehyde in concentrated acid solution in the presence of an alcohol solvent, usually methanol or ethanol.