A ternary supramolecular compound of p-sulfonatocalix[8]arene with 1D channels

A ternary supramolecular complex of [Ni(bipy)2(H2O)]4(C8AS)·17.6(H2O) (bipy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine and C8AS = p-sulfonatocalix[8]arene) has been synthesized by a hydrothermal method and characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, TG–DTA analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the structure, the water-soluble p-sulfonatocalix[8]arene molecule adopts a double partial cone conformation and is coordinated by four nickel atoms each of which is bonded by two 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine molecules and one water molecule at the same time. The tetranuclear subunits are stacked into an extended 3D structure with 1D water-filled channels via hydrogen bonds and C–H···π interactions.