Self-assembly of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic (trimesic) acid and its analogues

A crystalline inclusion complex between 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (tr imesic acid, 1) and pyrene was grown from diethyl ether/ethanol and its str ucture was determined by X-ray analysis, Trialkyltrimesic acids 4b-4e were synthesized in seven steps from 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (5), Trimethyltrimes ic acid (4a) was synthesized in four steps from mesitylene. All five substi tuted trimesic acids were crystallized to determine their potential as clat hrate hosts and to compare their solid-state structures with the parent tri mesic acid. The X-ray structures of 4a-4d were resolved and are reported. A covalent analogue of a trimesic acid dimer (13) was synthesized in seven s teps from 2-butylisophthalic acid and its solid-state structure determined.