Cation‐Driven Self‐Assembly of a Gold(I)‐Based Metallo‐Tweezer

Achieving Circularly Polarized Phosphorescence through Noncovalent Clipping of Metallotweezers

Circularly polarized phosphorescent materials, based on host-guest complexation, have received significant attention due to their outstanding emission performance in solutions. Recent studies have primarily focused on macrocyclic host-guest complexes. To broaden the scope of this research, there is a keen pursuit of developing novel chiral phosphorescent host-guest systems. Metallotweezers with square-planar d8 transition metal complexes emerge as promising candidates for achieving this objective. Specifically, metallotweezers, comprising platinum(II) terpyridine and gold(III) diphenylpyridine pincers on a diphenylpyridine scaffold, have been designed and synthesized. Due to the preorganization effect rendered by the diphenylpyridine scaffold, the resulting metallotweezers are capable of complexing with each other and forming quadruple stacking structures. The phosphorescent emission is enhanced owing to the synergistic rigidifying and shielding effects. Meanwhile, the steric effect of chiral (1R) pinene units on the platinum(II) terpyridine pincers results in a stereospecific twist for the quadruple stacking structures. Thus, the chirality transfers from the molecular to the supramolecular level. By a combination of phosphorescent enhancement and supramolecular chirality for the clipping complex, circularly polarized phosphorescent emission is achieved. Overall, noncovalent clipping of metallotweezers exemplified in the current study presents a novel and effective approach toward solution-processable circularly polarized phosphorescent materials.

Enhanced Near-infrared Phosphorescent Emission Modulated by Clipping of Metallotweezers in Aqueous Media

Near-infrared phosphorescent materials have received significant attention due to their potential applications in bioimaging and diagnostics. Although, many types of organic phosphors with near-infrared emission have been developed, the low phosphorescence efficiency in aqueous solution hampers their practical applications in biological systems. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop near-infrared phosphorescent materials with high emission efficiency in aqueous media. Metallotweezers, based on d8 transition metal complexes, emerge as the potential candidates for realizing this objective. Specifically, metallotweezers, featuring two positively charged platinum(II) terpyridine and neutral gold(III) diphenylpyridine pincers on diphenylpyridine spacer, have been designed and synthesized, respectively. The pre-organization effect, rendered by the rigid spacer, enables the resulting metallotweezers to complex with each other, resulting in the formation of clipping complex. The synergistic rigidifying and shielding effects of clipping structure results in enhanced phosphorescent emission intensity. Concurrently, due to phase segregation between the clipping units and the polyethylene glycol tail, the clipping complex undergoes self-assembly in aqueous solution, resulting in phosphorescent emission in the near-infrared region. Overall, non-covalent clipping of metallotweezers illustrated in this study presents a new and effective approach toward near-infrared phosphorescent materials.

Intramolecular Cation-π Interactions Organize Bowl-Shaped, Luminescent Molecular Containers

Molecules with nonplanar architectures are highly desirable due to their unique topological structures and functions. We report here the synthesis of two molecular containers (1 ⋅ 3Br- and 1 ⋅ 3Cl-), which utilize intramolecular cation-π interactions to enforce macrocylic arrangements and exhibit high binding affinity and luminescent properties. Remarkably, the geometry of the cation-π interaction can be flexibly tailored to achieve a precise ring arrangement, irrespective of the angle of the noncovalent bonds. Additionally, the C-H⋅⋅⋅Br- hydrogen bonds within the container are also conducive to stabilizing the bowl-shaped conformation. These bowl-shaped conformations were confirmed both in solution through NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by X-ray studies. 1 ⋅ 3Br- shows high binding affinity and selectivity: F->Cl-, through C-H⋅⋅⋅X- (X=F, Cl) hydrogen bonds. Additionally, these containers exhibited blue fluorescence in solution and yellow room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in the solid state. Our findings illustrate the utility of cation-π interactions in designing functional molecules.

Assembling Molecular Clips To Build π-Stacks

Nature utilizes an intimate stacking of aromatic motifs to construct functional structures, as demonstrated in protein folding and polynucleotide assembly. However, organized π-stacks of artificial molecules are difficult to build, primarily due to the weak, non-directional, and context-sensitive nature of van der Waals forces. To overcome these challenges, chemists have invented ingenious architectural designs to construct π-stacked supramolecular assemblies using clip-like molecules. This Concept article focuses on molecular clips that enable precise spatial control over assembly patterns, beyond the scope of simple host-guest chemistry. Different design strategies are analyzed and compared that leverage non-covalent interactions to create multi-layer π-stacks. Particular emphasis is placed on the choice of spine units as they play a crucial role in controlling the (i) spacing, (ii) orientation, and (iii) conformational pre-organization of linked aromatics to achieve long-range spatial ordering.

"Lock and Key" and "Induced-Fit" Host-Guest Models in Two Digold(I)-Based Metallotweezers

Two different metallotweezers, each with two pyrene-imidazolylidene-gold(I) arms, were used as hosts for a series of planar aromatic guests. The metallotweezer with a dibenzoacridinebis(alkynyl) spacer (1) orients the two pyrene-imidazolylidene-gold(I) arms in a parallel disposition, with an interpanel distance of about 7 Å. The second metallotweezer (2) contains a carbazolylbis(alkynyl) spacer that directs the two pyrene panels in a diverging orientation. Determination of the association constants via ¹H NMR titrations demonstrates that the binding strength shown by 1 is significantly larger than that found by 2, with binding affinities as large as 10⁴ M^-1 (in CDCl₃), for the encapsulation of N,N'-dimethylnaphthalenetetracarboxydiimide with 1. The differences in the binding affinities are due to binding models associated with formation of the related host-guest complexes. While 1 operates via a "lock and key" model, in which the host does not suffer distortions upon formation of the inclusion complex, 2 operates via a guest-induced fit model. The large association constants shown by 1 with two planar guests were used for promotion of the template-directed synthesis of 1, which in the absence of an external template is produced in an equimolecular mixture with its self-aggregated congener, clippane [1₂]. This observation strongly suggests that the mechanically interlocked clippane is formed through a self-template-directed mechanism, while bonds are broken/formed during the synthetic protocol.

Dual supramolecular chirogenesis based on platinum(II) metallotweezers

Optically active platinum(II) metallotweezers demonstrate both self-complexation and host-guest complexation capabilities, leading to two distinct supramolecular chirogenic signals in the visible region.

The New Di-Gold Metallotweezer Based on an Alkynylpyridine System

We developed a simple method to prepare one gold-based metallotweezer with two planar Au-pyrene-NHC arms bound by a 2,6-bis(3-ethynyl-5-tert-butylphenyl)pyridine unit. This metallotweezer is able to bind a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through the π-stacking interactions between the polyaromatic guests and the pyrene moieties of the NHC ligands. The metallotweezer was also used as a host for the encapsulation of planar metal complexes, such as the Au(III) complex [Au(C^N^C)(C≡CC₆H₄-OCH₃-p)], for which there is a large binding constant of 946 M⁻¹.

Phosphorescent Host-Guest Complexes on the Basis of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Functionalized Metallotweezers

Phosphorescent host-guest systems have attracted considerable attention because of their intriguing properties and diverse applications. In this study, a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-functionalized gold(III) tweezer receptor has been designed and synthesized. It is capable of sandwiching platinum(II) terpyridine compounds into its cavity with a high noncovalent binding affinity (association constants: ∼10⁵ M^-1 in chloroform). The resulting heterometallic host-guest complexes exhibit enhanced phosphorescent emission compared with those of the individual species in chloroform, thanks to the prevention of vibration and rotation upon noncovalent complexation. They can further assemble into nanospheres in chloroform/diethyl ether (1:9, v/v) owing to phase segregation between the metallotweezer/guest motif and the peripheral polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane unit. When terpyridine platinum(II) chloride serves as the complementary guest, the resulting noncovalent system displays an intraligand emission at the individual host-guest complexed state yet excimeric emission at the supramolecular assembled state, yielding the phosphorescent solvatochromic behaviors. Overall, the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-functionalized metallotweezer combines guest encapsulation and supramolecular assembly capabilities, which provides new avenues for color-tunable phosphorescent materials.

Tweezer-type binding cavity formed by the helical folding of a carbazole-pyridine oligomer

We have synthesised a new aromatic foldamer based on the carbazole-pyridine oligomers that adopt helical conformations via dipole-dipole interactions and π-stacking between two ethynyl bond-linked monomers. This foldamer scaffold has been further modified into a synthetic receptor with a tweezer-type binding cavity outside the helical backbone upon folding, in contrast to most aromatic foldamers with internal binding cavities. The tweezer-type cavity is composed of two parallel pyrenyl planes, allowing for the intercalation of a naphthalenediimide guest via π-stacking and CH⋯O interactions, as demonstrated using its ¹H NMR spectra and X-ray crystal structure.

[2.2]Paracyclophane-bridged platinum(II) complexes for silver(I) recognition with emission enhancement

A [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged bimetallic alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridyl complex displays severe emission quenching due to the presence of intramolecular π-π interactions. It undergoes an adaptive conformational change upon recognizing Ag⁺, which attenuates the intramolecular stacking strength and thereby exhibits "turn-on" emission character.

Clippane: A Mechanically Interlocked Molecule (MIM) Based on Molecular Tweezers

In this study we report the preparation of a new mechanically interlocked molecule formed by the self-aggregation of two metallotweezers composed by two pyrene-imidazolylidene gold(I) arms and a pyridine-centered pentacyclic bis-alkynyl linker. The mechanically interlocked nature of this molecule arises from the presence of the bulky tert-butyl groups attached to the sides of the pyrene moieties of the arms of the tweezer, which act as stoppers avoiding the dissociation of the self-aggregated metallotweezer dimer once it is formed. By combining experimental techniques, we were able to confirm the mechanically interlocked nature of this molecule in solution, in the gas phase and in the solid state. The behavior of the tert-butyl substituted tweezer differs greatly form that shown by the tweezer lacking of these bulky groups, whose dimeric structure is in equilibrium with the monomeric structure, therefore not showing any mechanical coercion that avoids the disassembly of the self-aggregated structure.

Main Avenues in Gold Coordination Chemistry

In this contribution, we provide an overview of the main avenues that have emerged in gold coordination chemistry during the last years. The unique properties of gold have motivated research in gold chemistry, and especially regarding the properties and applications of gold compounds in catalysis, medicine, and materials chemistry. The advances in the synthesis and knowledge of gold coordination compounds have been possible with the design of novel ligands becoming relevant motifs that have allowed the preparation of elusive complexes in this area of research. Strong donor ligands with easily modulable electronic and steric properties, such as stable singlet carbenes or cyclometalated ligands, have been decisive in the stabilization of gold(0) species, gold fluoride complexes, gold hydrides, unprecedented π complexes, or cluster derivatives. These new ligands have been important not only from the fundamental structure and bonding studies but also for the synthesis of sophisticated catalysts to improve activity and selectivity of organic transformations. Moreover, they have enabled the facile oxidative addition from gold(I) to gold(III) and the design of a plethora of complexes with specific properties.

Shape-Adaptability and Redox-Switching Properties of a Di-Gold Metallotweezer

The use of a carbazolyl‐connected di‐gold(I) metallotweezer for the encapsulation of several electron‐poor organic substrates, and a planar Au(III) complex containing a CNC pincer ligand, is described. The binding affinity of the receptor depends on the electron‐deficient character of the planar guest, with larger association constants found for the more electron‐poor guests. The X‐ray diffraction molecular structures of two host:guest adducts show that the host approaches its arms in order to facilitate the optimum interaction with the surface of the planar guests, in a clear example of an guest‐induced fit conformational arrangement. The electrochemical studies of the encapsulation of N,N’‐dimethyl‐naphthalenetetracarboxy diimide (NTCDI) show that the redox active guest is released from the receptor upon one electron reduction, thus constituting an example of redox‐switchable binding.

Single-Photon Near-Infrared-Responsiveness from the Molecular to the Supramolecular Level via Platination of Pentacenes

Near-infrared (NIR) responsiveness is important for various applications. Currently, single-photon NIR-responsive systems are rare compared to systems that display two-photon absorption and triplet-triplet annihilation processes. Supramolecular stacking of photo-responsive chromophores results in decreased efficiency due to space-confinement effects. Herein we show that σ-platination of pentacenes is a feasible protocol to build single-photon NIR-responsive systems, with advantages including a low HOMO-LUMO energy gap, high photochemical efficiency, and pathway specificity. The pentacene-to-endoperoxidation transformation is accompanied by color and absorbance changes. The high photo-oxygenation efficiency of σ-platinated pentacenes facilitates NIR responsiveness in one-dimensional supramolecular polymers, resulting in the disappearance of supramolecular chirality signals and disruption of self-assembled nanofibers. Overall, the σ-platination strategy opens up new avenues toward NIR photo-responsive materials at the molecular and supramolecular levels.

Binding of a TlCl Entity by a Tetragold Tetramercaptothiacalixarene Metalloligand via Metallophilic Interactions

The successive auration of p-tert-butyltetramercaptotetrathiacalix[4]arene, H₄ (MTC[4]), with gold(I) phosphine units was investigated. Through deprotonation with NaOMe, followed by salt metathesis reactions with (PR₃ )AuCl (R=Me, Ph) complexes with two and three [(PR₃ )Au]⁺ moieties could be prepared and isolated, namely [(Ph₃ PAu)₂ H₂ (MTC[4])] and [(Me₃ PAu)₃ H(MTC[4])]. In [(Me₃ PAu)₃ H(MTC[4])] two gold atoms already come close enough to undergo aurophilic interactions. To introduce a fourth [(PR₃ )Au]⁺ entity TlOEt had to be used for the deprotonation, which led to the finding that four gold atoms organised by the (MTC[4])^4- coordination platform are able to bind and stabilize a TlCl entity, yielding [(Me₃ PAu)₄ TlCl(MTC[4])]. As evidenced by structural and theoretical investigations the binding occurs through strong metallophilic interactions, which lead to photoluminescence at low temperatures.

Bright and Robust Phosphorescence Achieved by Non-Covalent Clipping

Phosphorescent materials with bright emission in versatile media are important for their practical applications, which require to lower the susceptibility of triplet excitons to surroundings. Herein a non-covalent clipping strategy has been developed to attain this objective, by designing a tweezer receptor to encapsulate Pt^II -based triplet emitters through two-fold π-stacking interactions. The Pt^II emitters display robust phosphorescence by virtue of synergistic rigidifying and shielding effects, which are hardly influenced by emitter concentration, oxygen content, and solvent polarity changes. The phosphorescent colors are elaborately modulated by varying ligand substitutes on Pt^II emitters. Circularly polarized phosphorescence is further amplified for chiral Pt^II emitters, by taking advantage of dual phosphorescence and chirality enhancement upon non-covalent tweezer complexation. Overall, the clipping approach paves the way for the development of high-performance phosphorescent materials with bright emission, environmental robustness, and facile color tunability.

Supramolecular Chirogenesis Induced by Platinum(II) Tweezers with Excellent Environmental Tolerance

Supramolecular chirogenesis has emerged as an effective strategy to access symmetry breaking in artificial systems. However, the chirogenic signals suffer from high susceptibility toward environmental variations. An effective strategy has been developed to address this issue by constructing platinum(II)-based tweezer/guest complexes stabilized by two-fold donor-acceptor and Pt^II -Pt^II metal-metal interactions. Upon guest encapsulation, the two pincers on the achiral Pt^II tweezer undergo a stereospecific twist to minimize steric repulsion, thus locking tweezer/guest complexes into the preferred chiral conformations. The induced chiroptical effects display outstanding solvent and temperature tolerance, ascribed to the balance between electrostatic and desolvation effects for the involved non-covalent interactions. Moreover, hierarchical and multi-component supramolecular assembly of tweezer/guest complexes provide a convenient way to modulate chirogeneic signals for their intensities.

Organoplatinum(II)-Based Self-Complementary Molecular Tweezers with Guest-Induced Fluorochromic Behaviors

Cyclometalated organoplatinum(II) complexes have aroused tremendous interests due to their square-planar geometry and intriguing photophysics. To access multiplatinum systems with more than three cyclometalated organoplatinum(II) units, the traditional covalent synthetic approach suffers from tedious multistep reactions with low overall yield. In comparison, supramolecular assembly can be regarded as an effective strategy toward multiplatinum(II) architectures. Despite the progresses achieved, it is still challenging to fabricate well-ordered supramolecular assemblies with precise numbers of organoplatinum(II) units. Herein, self-complementary dimerized molecular tweezers with four cyclometalated platinum(II) units have been successfully constructed by taking advantage of dual roles of the incorporated 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine unit (serving as the rigid spacer and encapsulated guest). Furthermore, addition of electron-rich carbazoles leads to conversion of the self-complementary structure to molecular tweezer/guest complexes. Such a structural transformation gives rise to the concomitant luminescent color change. The unique guest-induced fluorochromic phenomena, which are seldom reported in the previous host-guest systems, would be promising as tunable luminescent and ratiometric sensing materials.

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: A Door Open to Supramolecular Organometallic Chemistry

The field of metallosupramolecular chemistry is clearly dominated by the use of O-, N-, and P-donor Werner-type polydentate ligands. These molecular architectures are of high interest because of their wide range of applications, which include molecular encapsulation, stabilization of reactive species, supramolecular catalysis, and drug delivery, among others. Only recently, organometallic ligands have allowed the preparation of a variety of supramolecular coordination complexes, and the term supramolecular organometallic complexes (SOCs) is gaining space within the field of metallosupramolecular chemistry. While the early examples of SOCs referred to supramolecular architectures mostly containing bisalkenyl, diphenyl, or bisalkynyl linkers, the development of SOCs during the past decade has been boosted by the parallel development of multidentate N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. The first examples of NHC-based SOCs referred to supramolecular assemblies based on polydentate NHC ligands bound to group 11 metals. However, during the last 10 years, several planar poly-NHC ligands containing extended π-conjugated systems have facilitated the formation of a large variety of architectures in which the supramolecular assemblies can contain metals other than Cu, Ag, and Au. Such ligands are Janus di-NHCs and trigonal-planar tris-NHCs-most of them prepared by our research group-which have allowed the preparation of a vast range of NHC-based metallosupramolecular compounds with interesting host-guest chemistry properties. Although the number of SOCs has increased in the past few years, their use for host-guest chemistry purposes is still in its earliest infancy. In this Account, we describe the achievements that we have made during the last 4 years toward broadening the applications of planar extended π-conjugated NHC ligands for the preparation of organometallic-based supramolecular structures, including their use as hosts for some selected organic and inorganic guests, together with the catalytic properties displayed by some selected host-guest inclusion complexes. Our contribution describes the design of several Ni-, Pd-, and Au-based metallorectangles and metalloprisms, which we used for the encapsulation of several organic substrates, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes. The large binding affinities found are ascribed to the incorporation of two cofacial panels with large π-conjugated systems, which provide the optimum conditions for guest recognition by π-π-stacking interactions. We also describe a series of digold(I) metallotweezers for the recognition of organic and inorganic substrates. These metallotweezers were used for the recognition of "naked" metal cations and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The recognition properties of these metallotweezers are highly dependent on the nature of the rigid connector and of the ancillary ligands that constitute the arms of the tweezer. A peculiar balance between the self-aggregation properties of the tweezer and its ability to encapsulate organic guests is observed.

Discrete Supramolecular Stacks Based on Multinuclear Tweezer-Type Rhodium Complexes

By taking advantage of self-complementary π-π stacking and CH-π interactions, a series of discrete quadruple stacks were constructed through the self-aggregation of U-shaped dirhodium metallotweezer complexes featuring various planar polyaromatic ligands. By altering the conjugate stacking strength and bridging ligands, assemblies with a range of topologies were obtained, including a binuclear D-shaped macrocycle, tetranuclear open-ended cagelike frameworks, and duplex metallotweezer stacking structures. Furthermore, a rare stacking interaction resulting in selective C-H activation was observed during the self-assembly process of these elaborate architectures.

Dinuclear gold(i) complexes: from bonding to applications

The last two decades have seen a veritable explosion in the use of gold(i) complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and phosphine (PR₃) ligands.

Cation-Directed Self-Assembly of Macrocyclic Diacetylene for Developing Chromogenic Polydiacetylene

The cation-directed self-assembly process has emerged as a fascinating approach for constructing supramolecular architectures and manifested a diverse range of assembly related applications. Herein, we synthesized a macrocyclic structure containing bis-amidopyridine and photopolymerizable diacetylene template, PyMCDA. Owing to the metal coordination affinity of bis-amidopyridine and the π-π stacking characteristic of diacetylene template and complementary to the cyclic molecular framework, Cs⁺-directed organic nanotubes are generated via unidirectional self-assembly of PyMCDA. The monomeric PyMCDA nanotubes are transformed into the covalently cross-linked chromogenic polydiacetylene nanotubes (PyMCPDA-Cs⁺) by UV-promoted topochemical polymerization. The result of a metal-ligand coordination characteristic, geometric parameters in solid-state assemblies, and topochemical polymerization behavior reveals a generation of Cs⁺ ion inserted nanotubes. Interestingly, PyMCDA-Cs⁺ nanotubes display thermochromic property with a brilliant blue-to-red color transition.

Aggregation and Tunable Color Emission Behaviors of l-Glutamine-Derived Platinum(II) Bipyridine Complexes by Hydrogen-Bonding, π-π Stacking and Metal-Metal Interactions

An l-glutamine-derived functional group was introduced to the bis(arylalkynyl)platinum(II) bipyridine complexes 1-4. The emission could be switched between the ³ MLCT excited state and the triplet excimeric state through solvent or temperature changes, which is attributed to the formation and disruption of hydrogen-bonding, π-π stacking, and metal-metal interactions. Different architectures with various morphologies, such as honeycomb nanostructures and nanospheres, were formed upon solvent variations, and these changes were accompanied by ¹ H NMR and distinct emission changes. Additionally, yellow and red emissive metallogels were formed at room temperature due to the different aggregation behaviors introduced by the substituent groups on bipyridine. The thermoresponsive metallogel showed emission behavior with tunable colors by controlling the temperature. The negative Gibbs free-energy change (ΔG) and the large association constant for excimer formation have suggested that the molecules undergo aggregation through hydrogen-bonding, π-π, and metal-metal interactions, resulting in triplet excimeric emission.

Process-tracing study on the post-assembly modification of poly-NHC-based metallosupramolecular cylinders with tunable aggregation-induced emission

A process-tracing and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) study of a covalent post-assembly modification (PAM) process of the Au^I–C_NHC cylinders was presented.

Aurophilicity in action: stepwise formation of dinuclear Au(i) macrocycles with rigid 1,8-dialkynylanthracenes

1,8-Bis(gold(i)-ethynyl)anthracene units find stabilisation by maximising aurophilic contacts under formation of macrocyclic anions linked to cationic gold(i) fragments.

Self-assembly of platinum(ii) 6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine complexes with solvato- and iono-chromic phenomena

Mono- and di-nuclear organoplatinum(ii) monomers with cyclometalated 6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine ligands have been successfully constructed. These systems are capable of displaying intriguing solvato- and iono-chromic phenomena by elaborately manipulating non-covalent PtPt metal-metal and π-π stacking interactions for their self-assembly processes.