The design and synthesis of molecular receptors able to form stable complexes with guest molecules has been a major challenge of supramolecular chemistry. 1 Association of the receptors, sometimes referred to as molecular tweezers or clips, 2 with guest molecules depends on weak specific interactions such as hydrogen bonding, ion pairing, and dipole-dipole and arene-arene (π-π) interactions in addition to nonspecific van der Waals forces. Since the discovery of fullerenes and related materials the interactions of their curved conjugated carbon networks with properly assembled aromatic rings have been recognized as a significant motif for the formation of inclusion complexes. 3 Buckybowls, bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with carbon networks related to fullerenes, appear to be ideal candidates for molecular receptors with the ability to recognize curved-surface fullerene cages through concave-convex "ball-and-socket" π-π interactions. 4 Corannulene (1) is the smallest and best studied buckybowl. However, even though concave-convex interactions between C 60 (2) and corannulene have been previously proposed in the observed gas-phase formation of [C 60 -1] +1 complex, 5 no experimental evidence exists to unequivocally prove this stereochemical arrangement between buckybowls and fullerenes.

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Ru(1)-C(24) 2.140( 7)Ru(1)-C(25) 2.149( 7)Ru(1)-C( 21) 2.162( 7)Ru(1)-C( 23) 2.168( 8)Ru(1)-C( 22) 2.171( 8)Ru(1)-C(2) 2.211( 7)Ru(1)-C(1) 2.221( 7)Ru( 1)-C( 18) 2.222( 8)Ru( 1)-C( 17) 2.231( 8)Ru( 1)-C( 12) 2.361( 8)Ru( 1)-C(11) 2.382( 7)C( 1)-C(11) 1.435( 12)12) 1.419(12) C(2)-H(2) 0.9800 C(3)-C(4) 1.382(15) C(3)-C(12) 1.456(12) C(3)-H(3) 0.9300 C(4)-C(13) 1.449(16) C(4)-H(4) 0.9300 C(5)-C(6) 1.356(19) C(5)-C(13) 1.449(18) C(5)-H(5) 0.9300 C(6)-C(14) 1.43(2) C(6)-H(6) 0.9300 C(7)-C(8) 1.335(18) C(7)-C(14) 1.418(19) C(7)-H(7) 0.9300 C(8)-C(15) 1.486(17) C(8)-H(8) 0.9300 C(9)-C(10) 1.352(15) C(9)-C(15) 1.437(16) C(9)-H(9) 0.9300 C(10)-C(11) 1.443(12) C(10)-H(10) 0.9300 C(11)-C(17) 1.353(10) C(12)-C(18) 1.407(11) C(13)-C(19) 1.346(12) C(14)-C(20) 1.393(13) C(15)-C(16) 1.373(12) C(16)-C(20) 1.405(12) C(16)-C(17) 1.426(11) C(17)-C(18) 1.418(10) C(18)-C(19) 1.426(11) C(19)-C(20) 1.382(13) C(21)-C(25) 1.430(11) C(21)-C(22) 1.435(12) C(21)-C(26) 1.510(12) C(22)-C(23) 1.392(12) C(22)-C(27) 1.491(12) C(23)-C(24) 1.414(10) C(23)-C(28) 1.517(11) C(24)-C(25) 1.420(10) C(24)-C(29) 1.503(11) C(25)-C(30) 1.495(11) C(26)-H(26A) 0.9600 C(26)-H(26B) 0.9600 C(26)-H(26C) 0.9600 C(27)-H(27A) 0.9600 C(27)-H(27B) 0.9600 C(27)-H(27C) 0.9600 C(28)-H(28A) 0.9600 C(28)-H(28B) 0.9600 C(28)-H(28C) 0.9600 C(29)-H(29A) 0.9600 C(29)-H(29B) 0.9600 C(29)-H(29C) 0.9600 C(30)-H(30A) 0.9600 C(30)-H(30B) 0.9600 C(30)-H(30C) 0.9600 C(33)-H(33B) 0.9700 C(32)-O(1) 1.459(2) C(32)-C(31) 1.510(2) C(32)-H(32A) 0.9700 C(32)-H(32B) 0.9700 C(34)-H(34A) 0.9600 C(34)-H(34B) 0.9600 C(34)-H(34C) 0.9600 C(31)-H(31A) 0.9600 C(31)-H(31B) 0.9600 C(31)-H(31C) 0.9600