Organic crystals bearing both channels and cavities formed from tripodal adamantane molecules

• Three adamantane-cored tripodal molecules were synthesized.
• X-ray crystallographic analyses were performed on single-crystals of tripodal molecules.
• Three tripodal molecules afforded molecular organic networks bearing internal spaces.
• Two crystals exhibited the formation of both 1D channels and cavities.
• One crystal showed the generation of only cavities in the crystalline lattices.

Three adamantane-based tripodal molecules bearing either a benzene, pyridine, or toluene unit (1–3) form molecular organic networks (1a–3a) with internal spaces, via intermolecular non-covalent interactions such as CH/π, CH/N, and CH/O interactions in the solid state. Crystals of 1a and 2a formed both one-dimensional channels and cavities, where guest molecules were encapsulated. The channels were derived from the alignment of the hexagonal cavities formed from six component molecules, while cavities formed between the 2D layers. In contrast, 3a contained only cavities built from the six component molecules, which correspond to the spaces which connected to form channels in 1a and 2a.

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