A molecular entity that forms complexes with organic or inorganic guests, or a chemical species that can accommodate guests within cavities of its crystal structure. Examples include cryptands and crowns (where there are ion-dipole attractions between heteroatoms and positive ions), hydrogen-bonded molecules that form "clathrates" (e.g. hydroquinone and water), and host molecules of inclusion compounds (e.g. urea or thiourea). van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions bind the guest to the host molecule in clathrates and inclusion compounds.
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