Discrete cage form of water hexamer in the hydrophilic channels assembled by heterocyclic azopyrrole

Abstract

A heterocyclic azopyrrole compound, meso-diethyl-5,5′-bis(thiazolyldiazo)-dipyrromethane (1), has been synthesized and its two crystals have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The molecules of compound 1 self-assembled into channel structure in the crystal of 1·3H2O, whereas interlocked type dimer in the crystal of 1·CHCl3. In the 1-D hydrophilic channels of 1·3H2O, six water molecules were held together by eight O–H…O hydrogen bonds and formed discrete cage hexameric clusters. The dehydration/rehydration processes of the compound 1 are also studied.