Intermetallic Interactions Within Solvated Polynuclear Complexes: A Misunderstood Concept

Chiral Self-Sorting Effects in the Self-Assembly of Metallosupramolecular Aggregates Comprising Ligands Derived from Tröger's Base

Five ligands with either nitrile or isonitrile metal binding motifs have been synthesized based on the 2,8- or 3,9-disubstituted Tröger's base scaffold, respectively. These ligands self-assemble into dinuclear cyclic metallosupramolecular aggregates upon coordination to [(dppp)Pd(OTf)₂ ] in a highly diastereoselective manner, by heterochiral self-sorting in a chiral self-discriminating manner as shown by ESI mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal XRD analysis. This observation is in contrast to earlier studies with ligands derived from Tröger's base that have larger metal binding motifs and bis(nitrile) and bis(isonitrile) ligands based on other rigid dissymmetric cores such as [2.2]paracyclophanes. Thus, the combination of these slim metal binding motifs with the rigid v-shaped 2,8- or 3,9-disubstituted Tröger's base scaffolds seems to be especially well preorganized to ensure high-fidelity social self-sorting behavior.

Influencing the Self-Sorting Behavior of [2.2]Paracyclophane-Based Ligands by Introducing Isostructural Binding Motifs

Two isostructural ligands with either nitrile (L^nit) or isonitrile (L^iso) moieties directly connected to a [2.2]paracyclophane backbone with pseudo‐meta substitution pattern have been synthesized. The ligand itself (L^nit) or its precursors (L^iso) were resolved by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase and the absolute configuration of the isolated enantiomers was assigned by XRD analysis and/or by comparison of quantum‐chemical simulated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Surprisingly, the resulting metallosupramolecular aggregates formed in solution upon coordination of [(dppp)Pd(OTf)₂] differ in their composition: whereas L^nit forms dinuclear complexes, L^iso exclusively forms trinuclear ones. Furthermore, they also differ in their chiral self‐sorting behavior as (rac)‐L^iso undergoes exclusive social self‐sorting leading to a heterochiral assembly, whereas (rac)‐L^iso shows a twofold preference for the formation of homochiral complexes in a narcissistic self‐sorting manner as proven by ESI mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, upon crystallization, these discrete aggregates undergo structural transformation to coordination polymers, as evidenced by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.

Diastereoselective Self-Assembly of a Neutral Dinuclear Double-Stranded Zinc(II) Helicate via Narcissistic Self-Sorting

A new bis(salicylimine) ligand based on the Tröger's base scaffold was synthesized in racemic and enantiomerically pure form. Upon coordination to zinc(II) ions this ligand undergoes highly diastereoselective self-assembly into neutral dinuclear double-stranded helicates as proven by XRD analysis and via comparison of experimental ECD spectra with those simulated with quantum-chemical methods. When the racemic ligand was used, self-assembly occurs under narcissistic self-sorting resulting in the formation of a racemic pair of helicates as revealed by NMR spectroscopy and XRD analysis.

Self-assembly of heteroleptic dinuclear metallosupramolecular kites from multivalent ligands via social self-sorting

A Tröger's base-derived racemic bis(1,10-phenanthroline) ligand (rac)-1 and a bis(2,2'-bipyridine) ligand with a central 1,3-diethynylbenzene unit 2 were synthesized. Each of these ligands acts as a multivalent entity for the binding of two copper(I) ions. Upon coordination to the metal ions these two ligands undergo selective self-assembly into heteroleptic dinuclear metallosupramolecular kites in a high-fidelity social self-sorting manner as evidenced by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.