Mononuclear or Coordination Polymer Complexes? Both Are Possible for 3,6,9-Trioxaundecanedioic Acid

Investigating the driving forces leading to the formation of a specific supramolecular architecture among a wide spectrum of all the possibly obtainable structures is not an easy task. The contemporary literature provides several models for correctly predicting the thermodynamically accessible structures that can originate from a library of building blocks. Definitions are rigid by their very nature, so their application may sometimes require a shift in perspective. In the study presented herein, we describe the crystal structures of three metallo-supramolecular architectures assembled from deprotonated derivatives of 3,6,9-trioxaundecanedioic acid and Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II). In the Mn(II) case, the complexation resulted in a complex of a discrete/heptacoordinated nature, whereas the other two structures appeared as helical polymers. To explain such an anomaly, in this work, we describe how the interplay between the flexibility of the ligand spacer and the number of coordinating atoms involved determines the divergent or convergent organisation of the final coordination architecture.

Structural dynamics of a thermally silent triiron(II) spin crossover defect grid complex

The structural evolution of spin crossover (SCO) complexes during their spin transition at equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium conditions needs to be understood to enable their successful utilisation in displays, actuators and memory components. In this study, diffraction techniques were employed to study the structural changes accompanying the temperature increase and the light irradiation of a defect [2 × 2] triiron(II) metallogrid of the form [FeII3LH2(HLH)2](BF4)4·4MeCN (FE3), LH = 3,5-bis{6-(2,2'-bipyridyl)}pyrazole. Although a multi-temperature crystallographic investigation on single crystals evidenced that the compound does not exhibit a thermal spin transition, the structural analysis of the defect grid suggests that the flexibility of the grid, provided by a metal-devoid vertex, leads to interesting characteristics that can be used for intermolecular cooperativity in related thermally responsive systems. Time-resolved photocrystallography results reveal that upon excitation with a ps laser pulse, the defect grid shows the first two steps of the out-of-equilibrium process, namely the photoinduced and elastic steps, occurring at the ps and ns time scales, respectively. Similar to a previously reported [2 × 2] tetrairon(II) metallogrid, FE3 exhibits a local distortion of the entire grid during the photoinduced step and a long-range distortion of the lattice during the elastic step. Although the lifetime of the pure photoinduced high spin (HS) state is longer in the tetranuclear grid than in the defect grid, suggesting that the global nuclearity plays a crucial role for the lifetime of the photoinduced species, the influence of the co-crystalising solvent on the lifetime of the photoinduced HS state remains unknown. This study sheds light on the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of a thermally silent defect triiron SCO metallogrid.

Modulation of the structural information in shape-defined heterocyclic strands: the case of a (pyridine-hydrazone)2pyrazine ligand

Metal ions (Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, Eu³⁺, Sm³⁺) and protons can, through coordination and protonation, modulate in three specific ways the structural information contained in the pyrazine-based heterocyclic strand L (obtained from 2,5-bis(methylhydrazino)pyrazine and 2 equivalents of 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde), thus generating two linear rod-like conformations and a bent one. This conformational diversity is associated with a structural one that consists of two diprotonated forms (H₂L(PF₆)₂ and H₂L(CF₃SO₃)₂), a polymeric architecture [AgL]_n(CF₃SO₃)_n, two rack-like complexes ([Eu₂H₂L₃(CF₃SO₃)₆](PF₆)₂ and [Sm₂H₂L₃(CF₃SO₃)₆](PF₆)₂) and a grid-like structure ([Cd₄L₄](CF₃SO₃)₈).

Metal-to-metal communication during the spin state transition of a [2 × 2] Fe(II) metallogrid at equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium conditions

Spin crossover (SCO) complexes are prototypes of materials with bi- or multi-stability in the solid state. The structural evolution during their spin transition is a key feature to establish the foundations of how to utilize this type of material. So far, ultrafast time-resolved structural investigations of SCO solids have been focused on monometallic complexes, though an increasing number of oligometallic SCO complexes showing cooperativity effects are being reported. Here, we used single crystal X-ray crystallography and time-resolved pink Laue photocrystallography to study the molecular reorganisation during the thermal and photoinduced SCO of a [2 × 2] tetranuclear metallogrid of the form [FeII4LMe4](BF4)4·2MeCN ([LMe]- = 4-methyl-3,5-bis{6-(2,2'-bipyridyl)}pyrazolate). A multitemperature crystallographic investigation on single crystals reveals an effective communication between the metal centres during thermal SCO, observed by the simultaneous transformation of the coordination polyhedra of both crystallographic-symmetry independent metal atoms accompanying the SCO in only one of them. Time-resolved photocrystallography results reveal the different molecular responses between mononuclear and oligonuclear complexes, after light irradiation with a picosecond laser pulse. While mononuclear SCO complexes reorganise once during the first nanosecond after excitation, the tetranuclear metallogrid exhibits a multiple structural rearrangement in the same span of time. Such behaviour is attributed to the elastic communication between metal atoms, which allows the propagation of a short-range elastic distortion over the entire Fe4 grid complex. The present study sheds light on the importance of strong elastic coupling of metal atoms during the correlated spin transition of oligometallic complexes.

Peripherally multi-functionalised metallosupramolecular grids: assembly, decoration, building blocks for dynamic covalent architectures

The sequential assembly of first terminally functionalized bishydrazone ligands followed by their coordination with Zn(ii) metal cations yields peripherally multi-functionalized [2 × 2] grid-type complexes.

Heterometallic grids: synthetic strategies and recent advances

Supramolecular metallogrid complexes are metalloclusters involving metal ions in planar array arrangements and organic ligands in perpendicular arrangements at each corner of the metal sites. Such essentially metal ion arrays have attracted great attention in the last three decades owing to their variety of interesting optical, electronic and magnetic properties. Among them, metallogrids containing more than one type of metal, that is heterometallic grids, are rare but have more potential to engineer a higher level functionality into one molecule. However, until now, only dozens of heterometallic grids have been reported without any specific review. Herein, we aim to give an overview of the assembly strategies, the physicochemical properties, and finally some perspectives on the future development of heterometallic grids.

Creating capsules with cubanes

A sextuply linked capsule incorporating two Ni(ii) cubane units is formed when Ni(ii) salts are reacted with N-aminoalkyl salicylamidato ligands in a 4 : 3 ratio in methanol. With a short (propyl) alkyl substituent, additional chloride counter ions are included in the cavity by occupation of one apex of each of the linked cubanes, while with a longer (pentyl) substituent, perchlorate and tetrafluoroborate anions are included, probably by H-bonding involving hydroxyl groups on the inner apices of the cubanes, indicating that the cavity can be regarded as suited to binding of hydrophilic units despite the lipophilic character of its links. The dicubane capsules show ferromagnetic behaviour typical of Ni(ii) cubanes in general, with coupling constants dependent upon the nature of the salt-derived counter anions.

From monomeric complexes to double-stranded helicates constructed around trans-TiO4N2 motifs with intramolecular inter-ligand hydrogen-bonding interactions

Monomeric and double-stranded helicates are built from trans-TiO₄N₂ motifs. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds govern the framework of these species. The strength of these interactions has been investigated.

Supramolecular reactions of metallo-architectures: Ag2-double-helicate/Zn4-grid, Pb4-grid/Zn4-grid interconversions, and Ag2-double-helicate fusion

Supramolecular reactions are of importance in many fields. We report herein three examples where complexes of hydrazone-based ligands are involved. A Ag2-double-helicate was converted, by treatment with Zn(OTf)2, into a Zn4-grid (exchange of metal ions and change of the nature of the initial complex). A Pb4-grid was converted, upon reaction with ZnCl2 or ZnBr2, into a Zn4-grid (exchange of metal ions, but conservation of the nature of the initial complex). The reverse conversions were also achieved. The fusion of a Ag2-double-helicate with another Ag2-double-helicate was performed (exchange of ligands, but conservation of the nature of the complexes) and resulted in a mixture of three helicates (two homostranded ones and one heterostranded one).

A stable open-shell redox active ditopic ligand

Herein we describe the synthesis, structure and electronic properties of an unusual redox-active ditopic ligand with a stable open-shell configuration. This stable phenoxyl radical features intense and very low energy electronic transitions in the near infrared (NIR) part of the spectrum and is structurally set up to strongly spin couple coordinated transition metal ions in [2 × 2] grid-type structures.

Controlled Folding, Motional, and Constitutional Dynamic Processes of Polyheterocyclic Molecular Strands

General design principles have been developed for the control of the structural features of polyheterocyclic strands and their effector-modulated shape changes. Induced defined molecular motions permit designed enforcement of helical as well as linear molecular shapes. The ability of such molecular strands to bind metal cations allows the generation of coiling/uncoiling processes between helically folded and extended linear states. Large molecular motions are produced on coordination of metal ions, which may be made reversible by competition with an ancillary complexing agent and fueled by sequential acid/base neutralization energy. The introduction of hydrazone units into the strands confers upon them constitutional dynamics, whereby interconversion between different strand compositions is achieved through component exchange. These features have relevance for nanomechanical devices. We present a morphological and functional analysis of such systems developed in our laboratories.

Synthesis, X-ray characterization, DFT calculations and Hirshfeld surface analysis studies of carbohydrazone based on Zn(ii) complexes

Five Zn(ii) complexes based on a N₄O core carbohydrazone ligand have been synthesized and X-ray characterized. The noncovalent interactions that govern the crystal packing have been rationalized by means of DFT calculations.

Tetratopic pyrimidine–hydrazone ligands modified with terminal hydroxymethyl and acryloyl arms and their Pb(ii), Zn(ii), Cu(ii) and Ag(i) complexes

Tetratopic pym–hyz strands with terminal hydroxymethyl (L1) and acryloyl groups (L2) were synthesised, characterised and reacted with Pb(ii), Zn(ii), Cu(ii) and Ag(i) ions resulting in new linear, horse-shoe shaped and double helical complexes.