Guest Transport in a Nonporous Organic Solid via Dynamic van der Waals Cooperativity

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 298; no. 5595; pp. 1000 - 1002
• Main Authors: Atwood, Jerry L., Barbour, Leonard J., Jerga, Agoston, Schottel, Brandi L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 01.11.2002; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Bromides; Calixarenes; Chemistry; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Crystal lattices; Crystalline state (including molecular motions in solids); Crystallographic aspects of phase transformations; pressure effects; Crystals; Exact sciences and technology; Inclusions; Lattice energy; Literary Devices; Materials; Materials science; Molecular crystals; Molecules; Organic solids; Permeability; Phase transformations; Physics; Structural Analysis (Linguistics); Structural Analysis (Science); Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Pentacyclic compound; Vinyl monomers; Molecular motion; Stacking sequence; Phase transformations; Chemical reactions; Calixarene; Experimental study; Clathrates; Macrocycle; Aromatics; Inclusion compounds; Van der Waals interaction; Phenols; Bromine Organic compounds; Cyclophane; Diffusion; Intramolecular hydrogen bond; Organic compounds; Bilayers
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1077591

A well-known organic host compound undergoes single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transitions upon guest uptake and release. Despite a lack of porosity of the material, guest transport through the solid occurs readily until a thermodynamically stable structure is achieved. In order to actively facilitate this dynamic process, the host molecules undergo significant positional and/or orientational rearrangement. This transformation of the host lattice is triggered by weak van der Waals interactions between the molecular components. In order for the material to maintain its macroscopic integrity, extensive cooperativity must exist between the molecules throughout the crystal, such that rearrangement can occur in a well-orchestrated fashion. We demonstrate here that even weak dispersive forces can exert a profound influence over solid-state dynamics.