Synthesis and complexation study of new ExTTF-based hosts for fullerenesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: General experimental details, procedures, NMR and MS data for new compounds. See DOI: 10.1039/c3ob42477d

A new series of exTTF hosts has been synthesized for supramolecular binding study of fullerenes C 60 and C 70 . Binding constants for C 60 in chlorobenzene, toluene, toluene-CH 2 Cl 2 and CS 2 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 C 70 than C 60 . 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. New exTTF-based hosts with different linkers have been prepared and their ability to complex fullerenes was studied in diluted solution using various solvents.