The development of three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular coordination complexes is of great interest from both fundamental and application points of view because these materials are useful in molecular catalysis, separation and purification, sensing, etc. Herein, we describe the synthesis of two Klärner’s molecular-clip-based tetrapyridyl donors, which possess a C-shaped structure as shown by X-ray analysis, and subsequently use them to prepare four convex trigonal-prismatic cages via coordination-driven self-assembly with two 180° diplatinum(II) acceptors. The cages are fully characterized by multinuclear NMR (31P and 1H) analysis, diffusion-ordered spectroscopy, electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and UV/vis absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, the incorporation of molecular-clip-based ligands provides these cages with free cavities to encapsulate fullerene C60 via aromatic interactions, which may be useful for fullerene separation and purification. The studies described herein enlarge the scope of the platinum(II)-based directional bonding approach in the preparation of curved 3D metallacages and their host–guest chemistry.

A facile solvent- and catalyst-free method for the synthesis of a series of new hydroxylated 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyridines under microwave irradiation was developed. The expected products were obtained through a simplified purification process without protection of the hydroxyl group. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra of these conjugated multi-hydroxyl compounds were also investigated.

An efficient synthesis of novel functionalized 2-aryl-4-(indol-3-yl)-4H-chromenes has been developed, in the presence of a catalytic amount of iodine, from easily available starting materials, 2-hydroxychalcone derivatives. Indole, substituted indoles and 7-azaindole are suitable for this transformation. The possible domino Michael addition–intramolecular cyclization reaction mechanism is proposed.

The title compound has been synthesized by alkylation of diphenylglycoluril with o-xylylenedihalides followed by Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. The yielded product 2 was investigated with X-ray crystallographic, NMR, EI-MS, and IR techniques. The crystal belongs to a triclinic system, space group P-1 with unit cell parameters a = 10.5057(8) Å, b = 12.6915(9) Å, c = 13.3426(10) Å, α = 83.8540(10)o, β = 87.9360(10)o, γ = 75.5700(10)o, V = 1712.9(2) Å3, Z = 2, Dc = 1.322, Mr = 681.59, μ = 0.232 mm−1, F(000) = 708, R1 = 0.0586 and wR2 = 0.1470.

An efficient synthesis of novel functionalized 2-aryl-4-(indol-3-yl)-4H-chromenes has been developed, in the presence of a catalytic amount of iodine, from easily available starting materials, 2-hydroxychalcone derivatives. Indole, substituted indoles and 7-azaindole are suitable for this transformation. The possible domino Michael addition–intramolecular cyclization reaction mechanism is proposed.