A trinuclear silver coordination polymer from a bipyridine bis-urea macrocyclic ligand and silver triflate

AgX-based hybrid coordination polymers: mechanochemical synthesis, structure and luminescence property characterization

Hybrid coordination polymers are interesting for their ability to converge the properties of both inorganic and organic systems in one single compound and recently attention has been focused on silver based hybrid coordination polymers due to their luminescence properties. We searched the CSD to establish the propensity of AgXL (X = Cl^-, Br^- and I^-) with L as an organic ligand to form hybrid coordination polymers. About 800 AgXL structures are deposited in the CSD, with huge structural variability: indeed, it is possible to recognize some structural preferences based on the halide nature. The formation of an inorganic polymeric unit is favoured by iodide but it is also possible with the other halides. This research continues with the synthesis of AgX (X = I^-, Br^-) based coordination polymers with 2-, 3- and 4-picolylamine (n-pica) as ligands. By mechanochemical synthesis five new hybrid coordination polymers and one coordination polymer have been obtained and their structures determined. While [(AgI)(n-pica)]_n are not luminescent, [(AgBr)(n-pica)]_n emit and their profile depends on the crystallinity of the sample.

Dramatic improvement of stability by in situ linker cyclization of a metal–organic framework

Towards 3D graphenes: we demonstrate an effective two-step strategy for accessing crystalline porous covalent networks of highly conjugated π-electron systems.

Structural, electrochemical and photophysical properties of an exocyclic di-ruthenium complex and its application as a photosensitizer

The reaction of cis-bis(2,2'-bipyridine)dichlororuthenium(ii) hydrate with a conformationally mobile bipyridyl macrocycle afforded [(bpy)2Ru(μ-L)Ru(bpy)2]Cl4·6H2O, a bridged di-Ru complex. Single crystal X-ray diffraction showed the macrocyclic ligand adopting a bowl-like structure with the exo-coordinated Ru(ii) centers separated by 7.29 Å. Photophysical characterization showed that the complex absorbs in the visible region (λmax = 451 nm) with an emission maximum at 610 nm (τ = 706 ns, ΦPL = 0.021). Electrochemical studies indicate the di-Ru complex undergoes three one-electron reversible reductions and a reversible one-electron oxidation process. This electrochemical reversibility is a key characteristic for its use as an electron transfer agents. The complex was evaluated as a photocatalyst for the electronically mismatched Diels-Alder reaction of isoprene and trans-anethole using visible light. It afforded the expected product in good conversion (69%) and selectivity (dr > 10 : 1) at low loadings (0.5-5.0 mol%) and the sensitizer/catalyst was readily recycled. These results suggest that the bipyridyl macrocycle could be widely applied as a bridging ligand for the generation of chromophore-catalyst assemblies.

Functional materials from self-assembled bis-urea macrocycles

CONSPECTUS: This Account highlights the work from our laboratories on bis-urea macrocycles constructed from two C-shaped spacers and two urea groups. These simple molecular units assembled with high fidelity into columnar structures guided by the three-centered urea hydrogen bonding motif and aryl stacking interactions. Individual columns are aligned and closely packed together to afford functional and homogeneous microporous crystals. This approach allows for precise and rational control over the dimensions of the columnar structure simply by changing the small molecular unit. When the macrocyclic unit lacks a cavity, columnar assembly gives strong pillars. Strong pillars with external functional groups such as basic lone pairs can expand like clays to accept guests between the pillars. Macrocycles that contain sizable interior cavities assemble into porous molecular crystals with aligned, well-defined columnar pores that are accessible to gases and guests. Herein, we examine the optimal design of the macrocyclic unit that leads to columnar assembly in high fidelity and probe the feasibility of incorporating a second functional group within the macrocycles. The porous molecular crystals prepared through the self-assembly of bis-urea macrocycles display surface areas similar to zeolites but lower than MOFs. Their simple one-dimensional channels are well-suited for studying binding, investigating transport, diffusion and exchange, and monitoring the effects of encapsulation on reaction mechanism and product distribution. Guests that complement the size, shape, and polarity of the channels can be absorbed into these porous crystals with repeatable stoichiometry to form solid host-guest complexes. Heating or extraction with an organic solvent enables desorption or removal of the guest and subsequent recovery of the solid host. Further, these porous crystals can be used as containers for the selective [2 + 2] cycloadditions of small enones such as 2-cyclohexenone or 3-methyl-cyclopentenone, while larger hosts bind and facilitate the photodimerization of coumarin. When the host framework incorporates benzophenone, a triplet sensitizer, UV-irradiation in the presence of oxygen efficiently generates singlet oxygen. Complexes of this host were employed to influence the selectivity of photooxidations of 2-methyl-2-butene and cumene with singlet oxygen. Small systematic changes in the channel and bound reactants should enable systematic evaluation of the effects of channel dimensions, guest dimensions, and channel-guest interactions on the processes of absorption, diffusion, and reaction of guests within these nanochannels. Such studies could help in the development of new materials for separations, gas storage, and catalysis.

Synthesis, crystal structures and spectroscopic characterization of Co(II) bis(4,4′-bipyridine) with meso-porphyrins α,β,α,β-tetrakis(o-pivalamidophenyl) porphyrin (α,β,α,β-TpivPP) and tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP)

The reaction of the starting materials [ Co II ( Porph )] (Porph = α,α,α,α-tetrakis(o-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrin (TpivPP) and the meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP)) with an excess of 4,4′-bipyridine in chlorobenzene leads to the creation of two cobalt(II) derivatives: [ Co II (α,β,α,β- TpivPP )(4,4′- bpy )2]· C 6 H 5 Cl · C 6 H 14(1) and [ Co II ( TPP )(4,4′- bpy )2]·2 bpy (2). These compounds have been characterized by UV-vis, IR, 1 H NMR and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy. The proton NMR spectra of (1) and (2) clearly indicated that these derivatives are paramagnetic while the UV-vis data confirmed creation of a new six-coordinated or penta-coordinated Co ( II )-meso-porphyrin complexes by displaying red shifted Soret bands. The determined X-ray structures of (1) and (2) show that in the solid state these species are considered as coordination polymers which consist of 1D chains of alternating [ Co II ( Porph )] and 4,4′-bipyridine molecules located at the axial positions of the cobalt(II) coordination sphere. The coordination geometry of Co ( II ) in (1) and (2) is octahedral; the porphyrin (TpivPP or TPP) acts as a tetradentate chelating ligand with four nitrogen atoms from the pyrrole moieties occupying the equatorial positions along the porphyrin core. The N -donor atoms of the 4,4′-bipyridine create the axial ligands. It is noteworthy that for complex (1) the starting porphyrin is the α,α,α,α-TpivPP atropisomer but the final coordination polymer contains the α,β,α,β-TpivPP conformer.