Abstract

The coupling of 1-ethynyl-3-hydroxybenzene with half of an equivalent of 1,2-diiodobenzene using Sonogashira conditions provides 1,2-bis(3-hydroxyphenylethynyl)benzene, which crystallises in a ‘screw’-type arrangement. The three-dimensional structure is characterised by hydrogen bonds of the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the enediynes. The resulting tetrahedral cavities are filled with water molecules leading to an unexpected host–guest complex in the crystalline state.