Bestowing structure upon the pores of a supramolecular networkElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental methods, X-ray crystal structure of PH-TPEB and additional STM images of PTCDI-melamine networks exposed to S-TPEB and PH-TPEB. CCDC 1000630. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c4cc05934d

Trigonal molecules compartmentalise the pores of a honeycomb network of 3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) and 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine (melamine). Extending the 1,3,5-tri(phenylene-ethynylene)benzene core by a phenyl group allows for a well-defined accommodation of the molecule into two symmetry equivalent positions in the pore. The corresponding styryl or phenylene-ethynylene derivatives exceed the pore size and, thus, impede pore modification. Trigonal molecules compartmentalise the pores of a supramolecular honeycomb network.