Potassium–thiacalix[8]arene assembly: structure and guest sorption profiles

Treatment of thiacalix[8]arene (3·8H) with KH in THF, followed by recrystallization from methanol, affords an adduct of [K4(3·4H)]·8MeOH as a pale yellow crystal (4), which shows highly-extensive coordination that gives rise to a zeolitic structure. An adduct of 4 gives apohost [K4(3·4H)] with the loss of methanol, which can adsorb such gaseous organic guest molecules as methanol and benzene. After binding methanol as the guest molecule, the apohost is converted back to the original structure of 4.