Reversible photochemically gated transformation of a hemicarcerand to a carcerand.

Guests in a gated community: introduction of two anthracene groups into a linker in a hemicarcerand creates a new type of photochemically controlled gated hemicarcerand. The reversible opening and closing of the "gate" of the host is controlled photochemically. The encapsulation and release of the guest molecules such as 1,4-dimethoxybenzene is controlled by irradiation with light of different wavelengths.