In this work, we developed a new method for the preparation of phenanthrene[2]arene on a large-scale. Meanwhile, the synthetic phenanthrene[2]arene has been successfully used as nonporous adaptive crystals for the separation of para-xylene (pX) from xylene isomers. The crystal structure revealed that one host molecule can adsorb one pX molecule to form the 1@pX complex, in which pX is located in the cavity of the host.
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