π-Complexation of Post-Transition Metals by Neutral Aromatic Hydrocarbons: The Road from Observations in the 19th Century to New Aspects of Supramolecular Chemistry

Synthesis of Pd3Tl and Pd6Tl2 complexes based on a trinuclear aryl-palladium(II) complex acting as a metallaligand toward thallium(I) through Tl-arene and Tl-I bonds

The metallaligand [(PdIL(2))(3)(C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5)] (L(2) = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2-2'-bipyridine = tbbpy) reacts with TlOTf to afford the complex [{(PdIL(2))(3)C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5}Tl]OTf, which exists in the solid state as a 2:1 mixture of monomer and dimer, both showing Tl(I)-I and Tl(I)-η(6)-mesitylene bonds. In solution, only the monomer is observed. Heating of toluene solutions of [(PdIL(2))(3)(C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5)] affords the dinuclear complex [(PdIL(2))(2)(C(6)HMe(3)-1,3,5)].

Pb···π Aryl Interactions as Supramolecular Synthons

A survey of lead (Pb) structures containing Pb···π aryl interactions has been conducted. Such contacts usually lead to zero- or one-dimensional aggregates with rare examples of two- and three-dimensional architectures. The Pb···π aryl interactions are found only in crystal structures containing lead(ii) centres and arise as a result of electron donation of the lead-bound lone pair of electrons to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the accepting aryl ring. The prevalence of Pb···π interactions as a supramolecular synthon is relatively low, occurring in ~3% of all structures containing lead and at least one aryl ring, but these are more likely to form compared with Sn···π interactions.

Mono-, di- and polymetallic TlI complexes stabilized by a 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)-1-phenyl-phosphole ligand

Depending on the nature of the counterion and of the solvent, novel TlI complexes of different nuclearity featuring a 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)phosphole ligand were synthesized.