4,4′-(Fluorene-9,9-diyl)diphenol: a new versatile building block for clathrate type and macrocyclic host–guest inclusion

4,4′-(Fluorene-9,9-diyl)diphenol (1) is demonstrated to be both an effective clathrate host in itself and a useful construction element to form a rigid macrocyclic host compound 2. The X-ray crystal structures of 1 and of its inclusion compounds with acetonitrile (1 ∶ 1) and ethanol (1 ∶ 2) as well as the inclusion compound of 2 with dimethyl sulfoxide (1 ∶ 4) and the mixed-guest inclusion compounds of 2 with 2-picoline, 3-picoline or 4-picoline and acetone (2 ∶ 2 ∶ 1) are reported. Inclusion compounds of 1 with acetonitrile and ethanol are studied by thermal analysis.