Water-Vapor-Induced Reversible Switching of Electronic States in an MMX-Type Chain Complex with Retention of Single Crystallinity

Solvent vapour-responsive structural transformations in molecular crystals composed of a luminescent mononuclear aluminium(III) complex

Investigations into the construction of functional molecular crystals and their external stimuli-induced structural transformations represent compelling research topics, particularly for the advancement of sensors and memory devices. However, reports on the development of molecular crystals constructed from discrete mononuclear complex units and exhibiting structural transformations via the adsorption/desorption of guest molecules are scarce. In this study, we synthesised three molecular crystals composed of [Al(sap)(acac)(H2O)]·(solvent) (H2sap = 2-salicylideneaminophenol, acac = acetylacetonate, solvent = Me2CO (Al·Me2CO), MeCN (Al·MeCN), or DMSO (Al·DMSO)), and demonstrated solvent vapour-responsive reversible crystal-to-crystal structural transformations in Al·Me2CO and Al·MeCN. For Al·DMSO, exposure to DMSO vapour led to the formation of DMSO-coordinated compound [Al(sap)(acac)(DMSO)], indicating an irreversible structural transformation. This solvent vapour-responsive system incorporates a luminescent mononuclear aluminium(III) complex (λmax = 539-552 nm, Φem = 0.07-0.27) as the molecular building unit for the porous-like framework. Therefore, we synthesised a new functional molecular material and a potential molecular building unit that facilitates guest fixation through hydrogen-bonding.

Observation of an Alternate Charge-Polarization State in a One-Dimensional Pt-Pt-I Chain Compound with a Bulky Pendant Ligand

A one-dimensional (1D) halogen-bridged dinuclear-metal complex (MMX-chain) exhibits various electronic states based on a mixed-valence metal-dimer system. This report deals with the synthesis and physical properties of a new MMX-chain with a bulky pendant ligand, Pt₂ (mcc-HexCS₂ )₄ I (mcc-HexCS₂ =trans-4-(methoxycarbonyl)cyclohexanedithiocarboxylate). The steric hindrance caused by the bulky substituent induces a strain in its 1D chain, achieving at ambient condition the first pure alternate charge-polarization (ACP) state (-Pt²⁺ -Pt³⁺ -I^- -Pt³⁺ -Pt²⁺ -I^- -), a kind of spin-Peierls state, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and its conducting and magnetic properties. The strain effect is also manifested as a very large linear thermal expansion along the chain direction, which is quite different from conventional MMX-chains without a bulky ligand. The design of low-dimensional materials with ligand variations is expected to lead to the emergence of new electron-lattice coupled electronic states.

Near-infrared vapochromism in lipid-packaged mixed-valence coordination polymers

Reversible vapochromism in the NIR region is achieved for a mixed-valence platinum complex with lipid counterions, from which exclusion of crystallization water by organic vapor alters the lipid molecular orientation, which amplifies the information to changes in the 1D coordination structure and the electronic state.

A Preinstalled Protic Cation as a Switch for Superprotonic Conduction in a Metal-Organic Framework

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), made from various metal nodes and organic linkers, provide diverse research platforms for proton conduction. Here, we report on the superprotonic conduction of a Pt dimer based MOF, [Pt₂(MPC)₄Cl₂Co(DMA)(HDMA)·guest] (H₂MPC, 6-mercaptopyridine-3-carboxylic acid; DMA, dimethylamine). In this framework, a protic dimethylammonium cation (HDMA⁺) is trapped inside a pore through hydrogen bonding with an MPC ligand. Proton conductivity and X-ray measurements revealed that trapped HDMA⁺ works as a preinstalled switch, where HDMA⁺ changes its relative position and forms an effective proton-conducting pathway upon hydration, resulting in more than 10⁵ times higher proton conductivity in comparison to that of the dehydrated form. Moreover, the anisotropy of single-crystal proton conductivity reveals the proton-conducting direction within the crystal. The present results offer insights into functional materials having a strong coupling of molecular dynamic motion and transport properties.

Solvent vapor-induced polarity and ferroelectricity switching

Vapor-induced crystal to crystal transformation between non-polar [Fe(sap)(acac)(sol)] (H₂sap = 2-salicylideneaminophenol, acac = acethylacetate, sol = MeOH, pyridine) and polar [Fe(sap)(acac)(DMSO)] was demonstrated. It provides an example of switchable ferroelectric behaviour attributted to the structural phase transition triggered by solvent vapour.

Porous Molecular Conductor: Electrochemical Fabrication of Through-Space Conduction Pathways among Linear Coordination Polymers

The first porous molecular conductor (PMC), which exhibits porosity, a through-space conduction pathway and rich charge carriers (electrons), was prepared through electrocrystallization from Cd²⁺ and N, N'-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxdiimide (NDI-py). [Cd(NDI-py)(OH₂)₄](NO₃)_1.3±0.1· nDMA (PMC-1) was assembled by π-π stacking among one-dimensional (1D) linear coordination polymers. The NDI cores were partially reduced into radical anions to form conductive π-stacked columns, yielding (1.0-3.3) × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at room temperature. Moreover, the electrical conductivity was significantly enhanced by removing the solvent molecules from PMC-1, indicating that PMCs are promising as molecule-responsive conductive materials.

Construction of a bicontinuous donor-acceptor hybrid material at the molecular level by inserting inorganic nanowires into porous MOFs

Herein, we report an unprecedented hybrid structure of electron-rich iodoplumbate nanowires precisely inserted into the periodic pores of electron-deficient pyridinium metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of semiconductive MOFs in situ loaded with inorganic semiconductive nanowires via a simple self-assembly method. Due to the dissimilar semiconductivities between the host and guest components, this hybrid also represents the first bicontinuous donor-acceptor hybrid at the molecular level based on host-guest interactions.

Predominance of covalency in water-vapor-responsive MMX-type chain complexes revealed by (129)I Mössbauer spectroscopy

(129)I Mössbauer spectroscopy was applied to water-vapor-responsive MMX-type quasi-one-dimensional iodide-bridged Pt complexes (MMX chains) in order to investigate their electronic state quantitatively. Two sets of octuplets observed in K2(H3NC3H6NH3)[Pt2(pop)4I]·4H2O (2·4H2O) and one octuplet observed in K2(cis-H3NCH2CH=CHCH2NH3)[Pt2(pop)4I]·4H2O (1·4H2O) and dehydrated complexes (1 and 2) indicate a unique alternating charge-polarization + charge-density-wave (ACP + CDW) electronic state and a charge-density-wave (CDW) electronic state, respectively. These spectra correspond to their crystal structure and the change of electronic states upon dehydration. Since these complexes consist of an alternating array of positively charged and negatively charged layers, the charge on the iodide ion (ρIS) was discussed on the basis of the isomer shift (IS). The ρIS of the water-vapor-responsive MMX chains was mainly -0.13 to -0.21, which are the smallest of all MMX chains reported so far. Hence, it indicates that the negative charge on the iodide ion is strongly donated to the Pt ion in these complexes. This covalent interaction predominates in the ACP + CDW state as well as in the CDW state. Therefore, the ACP + CDW state is in fact the CDW state with the ACP-type lattice distortion. Because the ρIS became smaller with the decreasing Pt-I-Pt distance, it can be concluded that the covalent interaction plays an important role in determining the electronic states of the MMX chains with pop (= P2H2O5(2-)) ligands.

Solid-state electrochemistry of a semiconducting MMX-type diplatinum iodide chain complex

Electron-transfer-facilitated dissolution, ion insertion, and desorption associated with an MMX-type quasi-one-dimensional iodide-bridged dinuclear Pt complex (MMX chain) have been investigated for the first time. K2(NC3N)[Pt2(pop)4I]·4H2O (1) (NC3N(2+) = (H3NC3H6NH3)(2+); pop = P2H2O5(2-)) is a semiconductor with a three-dimensional coordination-bond and hydrogen-bond network included in the chain. The cyclic voltammetry of 1 was studied by using 1-modified electrodes in contact with acetonitrile solutions containing electrolyte. The chemical reversibility for oxidation of 1 depended on the electrolyte cation size, with large cations such as tetrabutylammonium (Bu4N(+)) being too large to penetrate the pores formed by the loss of K(+) and NC3N(2+) upon oxidation. The potential for reduction of 1 decreased as the cation size increased. The presence of the acid induced additional well-defined processes but with gradual solid dissolution, attributed to the breaking of the coordination-bond networks.

Axial-site modifications of paddlewheel diruthenium(II, II) complexes supported by hydrogen bonding

The reactions of paddlewheel-type diruthenium(II, II) complexes, [Ru2(II,II)(x-FPhCO2)4(THF)2] (x-FPhCO2(-) = x-fluorobenzoate with x- = o-, m-, p-), with 2,6-diaminopyridine (dapy) and 7-azaindole (azain) afford axially capped discrete compounds, [Ru2(II,II)(x-FPhCO2)4(dapy)2] (x = o-, 1; m-, 2; p-, 3) and [Ru2(II,II)(o-FPhCO2)4(azain)2] (4), respectively. In these compounds, intramolecular hydrogen bonds are observed between NH2 groups for 1-3 or imine NH groups for 4 and oxygen atoms of carboxylate groups. In addition, hydrogen bonds of NH2···F are also observed for 1 and 4 with an o-positioned F atom on benzoate. This coordination mode, i.e., a dual bonding mode with σ-bonding and hydrogen bonding, should assist ligand coordination to the axial position of the [Ru2] unit. The Ru-N bond distance in 1-4 is shorter than that observed in related compounds reported previously. In a similar fashion, reactions with planar M(II) dithiobiuret (dtb) complexes, [M(II)(dtb)2] (M(II) = Pd(II) and Pt(II)), were carried out. One-dimensional alternating chains, [{Ru2(II,II)(o-FPhCO2)4}{M(II)(dtb)2}] (M(II) = Pd(II), 5; Pt(II), 6), were obtained, in which the hydrogen-bonding modes of NH2···O and NH2···F are present, as expected. DFT calculations for the [M(II)(dtb)2] unit revealed that the LUMO of [M(II)(dtb)2] lies at -2.159 and -1.781 eV for M = Pd and Pt, respectively, which is much higher than HOMO energy at -4.184 eV calculated for [Ru2(II,II)(o-FPhCO2)(THF)2], proving that the respective units are essentially electronically isolated in the chains.

Controlling the electronic states and physical properties of MMX-type diplatinum-iodide chain complexes via binary countercations

MMX-type quasi-one-dimensional iodide-bridged dinuclear Pt complexes (MMX chains) with binary countercations show a new alternating charge-polarization + charge-density-wave (ACP+CDW) electronic state and reversible switching of the electronic states and physical properties upon dehydration and rehydration process. By comparing several MMX chains with various binary countercations with previous chains, we found that the short backbone of the aliphatic diammonium ion was indispensable for realizing the ACP+CDW state because it induces a 2-fold periodicity along the chain axis via twisting of the ligands. Moreover, the reversibility of the changes in the structure and electrical conductivity upon dehydration and rehydration depend on the length of aliphatic diammonium ion. Short diammonium ions support a robust framework, which undergoes reversible structural changes. On the other hand, long and bent aliphatic diammonium ions weaken the framework, which causes partial degradation of the crystal and a decrease in the electrical conductivity when the structure changes. However, the decrease in the activation energy of the electrical conductivity after the dehydration process is independent of the robustness of the complex, indicating that the orbital overlap in MMX chains with binary countercations increases upon dehydration. Controllable electronic states and physical properties provide a platform for designing the multifunctional materials based on MMX chains.