Tripodal Tris-N-Oxides: Synthesis and Hydrogen Bonding Capabilities

A number of tripodal tris-N-oxide receptors were synthesized and their hydrogen-bonding capabilities were investigated. Particular success was seen with both the benzene- and mesitylene-linked trismorpholine N-oxide receptors, which exhibited significant hydrogen bonding to both water and urea, as well as the inclusion of a rare decameric water cluster, as demonstrated by X-ray crystallography.