Building-up Remarkably Stable Magnesium Porphyrin Polymers Self-Assembled via Bidentate Axial Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, Surface Morphology, and Effect of Bridging Ligands

Multi-component self-assembled molecular-electronic films: towards new high-performance thermoelectric systems

The thermoelectric properties of parallel arrays of organic molecules on a surface offer the potential for large-area, flexible, solution processed, energy harvesting thin-films, whose room-temperature transport properties are controlled by quantum interference (QI). Recently, it has been demonstrated that constructive QI (CQI) can be translated from single molecules to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), boosting both electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficients. However, these CQI-enhanced systems are limited by rigid coupling of the component molecules to metallic electrodes, preventing the introduction of additional layers which would be advantageous for their further development. These rigid couplings also limit our ability to suppress the transport of phonons through these systems, which could act to boost their thermoelectric output, without comprising on their impressive electronic features. Here, through a combined experimental and theoretical study, we show that cross-plane thermoelectricity in SAMs can be enhanced by incorporating extra molecular layers. We utilize a bottom-up approach to assemble multi-component thin-films that combine a rigid, highly conductive 'sticky'-linker, formed from alkynyl-functionalised anthracenes, and a 'slippery'-linker consisting of a functionalized metalloporphyrin. Starting from an anthracene-based SAM, we demonstrate that subsequent addition of either a porphyrin layer or a graphene layer increases the Seebeck coefficient, and addition of both porphyrin and graphene leads to a further boost in their Seebeck coefficients. This demonstration of Seebeck-enhanced multi-component SAMs is the first of its kind and presents a new strategy towards the design of thin-film thermoelectric materials.

A Self-Conditioned Metalloporphyrin as a Highly Stable Cathode for Fast Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries

Development of practical rechargeable Mg batteries (RMBs) is impeded by their limited cycle life and rate performance of cathodes. As demonstrated herein, a copper-porphyrin with meso-functionalized ethynyl groups is capable of reversible two- and four-electron storage at an extremely fast rate (tested up to 53 C). The reversible four-electron redox process with cationic-anionic contributions resulted in a specific discharge capacity of 155 mAh g-1 at the high current density of 1000 mA g-1 . Even at 4000 mA g-1 , it still delivered >70 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles, corresponding to an energy density of >92 Wh kg-1 at a high power of >5100 W kg-1 . The ability to provide such high-rate performance and long-life opens the way to the development of practical cathodes for multivalent metal batteries.

Magnesium porphyrins with relevance to chlorophylls

A review on the chemistry of magnesium porphyrins, which have significant interest owing to the relevance to chlorophyll molecules, is presented with emphasis on bicarbonate adducts of magnesium porphyrin and chlorophyll.

Electrochemical fabrication of one-dimensional porphyrinic wires on electrodes

[5,15-Di(4-aminophenyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrinato]zinc(ii) was found to electropolymerize on electrodes such as glassy carbon (GC), indium tin oxide (ITO), and tin oxide, to form a redox-active, stable, and reproducible π-conjugated polymer.

Metal-coordination-driven mixed ligand binding in supramolecular bisporphyrin tweezers

The mixed ligand polymers of Mg(ii)bisporphyrin with heterogeneous guest pairs have been synthesized just by mixing the host and guests in one pot and structurally characterized. The guest ligands are bound selectively between the inside and the outside of the bisporphyrin cavity.

Binary co-crystals of the active pharmaceutical ingredient 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene and camphoric acid

Co-crystals comprising the active pharmaceutical ingredient 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene, C12H10N4, and the chiral co-formers (+)-, (-)- and (rac)-camphoric acid (cam), C10H16O4, have been synthesized. Two different stoichiometries of the API and co-former are obtained, namely 1:1 and 3:2. Crystallization experiments suggest that the 3:2 co-crystal is kinetically favoured over the 1:1 co-crystal. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the co-crystals reveals N-H...O hydrogen bonding as the primary driving force for crystallization of the supramolecular structures. The 1:1 co-crystal contains undulating hydrogen-bonded ribbons, in which the chiral cam molecules impart a helical twist. The 3:2 co-crystal contains discrete Z-shaped motifs comprising three molecules of the API and two molecules of cam. The 3:2 co-crystals with (+)-cam, (-)-cam (space group P21) and (rac)-cam (space group P21/n) are isostructural. The enantiomeric co-crystals contain pseudo-symmetry consistent with space group P21/n, and the co-crystal with (rac)-cam represents a solid solution between the co-crystals containing (+)-cam and (-)-cam.

The effects of halogen bonding and molecular design on the self-assembly of coordination polymers of Mn(iii)-tetraarylporphyrin with axial bridging ligands

Two new coordination polymers of Mn(iii)-tetra(iodophenyl)porphyrin with isonicotinate and pyrimidine-5-carboxylate linkers have been synthesized. The effect of halogen-bonding interactions on their self-assembly in the crystalline bulk and on a graphite surface has been discussed.