Synthesis of carboxylate head-containing self-complementary building units and their anion-π directed self-assembly

Self-complementary building units of carboxylate head-containing oxacalix[2]arene[2]triazines were synthesised by inserting different flexible linkers in between the macrocyclic skeleton and carboxylate. The anion-π directed self-assembly of these building units in solution and in gas phase was systematically investigated by concentration and temperature variable ¹H NMR, diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ESI-MS.