Sulfonatocalixarenes: molecular capsule and 'Russian doll' arrays to structures mimicking viral geometry.

p-Sulfonatocalix[4,5,6,8]arenes are versatile building blocks, able to assemble into 'molecular capsule' arrays based on two calixarenes, as well as a variety of other structural motifs, with the extended structures dominated by the formation of bilayers. For p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene, assembly into nanometre scale spheroids (of either icosahedral or cuboctahedral geometries) as well as nanotubules (all of which take on structural features akin to those of viruses) is possible, depending on the guest molecules and lanthanides present in solution.