Nanospheric [M20(OH)12(maleate)12(Me2NH)12]4+ Clusters (M = Co, Ni) with Oh Symmetry

Space Craft-like Octanuclear Co(II)-Silsesquioxane Nanocages: Synthesis, Structure, Magnetic Properties, Solution Behavior, and Catalytic Activity for Hydroboration of Ketones

Two novel space craft-like octanuclear Co(II)-silsesquioxane nanocages, {Co₈[(MeSiO₂)₄]₂(dmpz)₈} (SD/Co8a) and {Co₈[(PhSiO₂)₄]₂(dmpz)₈} (SD/Co8b) (SD = SunDi; Hdmpz = 3,5-dimethylpyrazole), have been constructed from two similar multidentate silsesquioxane ligands assisted with a pyrazole ligand. The Co₈ skeleton consists of eight tetrahedral Co(II) ions arranged in a ring and is further capped by two (MeSiO₂)₄ ligands up and down. The auxiliary dmpz^- ligands seal the ring finally. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry revealed SD/Co8a and SD/Co8b are highly stable in CH₂Cl₂. Magnetic analysis implies that SD/Co8a announces antiferromagnetic interactions between Co(II) ions. Moreover, both of them display good homogeneous catalytic activity for hydroboration of ketones in the presence of pinacolborane under mild conditions.

Emergence of complex chiral coordination clusters {CuNa12} by using multiple ligands under oxidizing conditions

Two chiral coordination clusters {CuNa₁₂}, which can only be revealed by synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction, were assembled unexpectedly from a system resembling the long-studied Fehling's solution. As the intricate structures themselves indicate, the ingenuity of using multiple ligands should inspire new strategies to fabricate new compounds.

Rare double spin canting antiferromagnetic behaviours in a [Co24] cluster

A fish-basket-shaped [Co₂₄] cluster, [Co₂₄(μ₃-O)₄(ampc)₄(μ₃-OH)₄(μ₂-OH)₄(NO₃)₅(HCO₂)₂₂(H₂O)₁₀]·[(HCO₂)·2(CH₃OH)·x(H₂O)], was woven by bridging oxygen atoms from O²⁻, OH⁻, NO₃⁻ and HCO₂⁻ groups, and stabilized terminally by a semi-rigid organic ligand 4′,4′-[(dimethylamino)dimethylene]-bis[(1,1′-biphenyl)-2-carboxylate] (ampc⁻).

Synthesis and optical properties of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules based on the ESIPT mechanism as pH- and Zn2+-responsive fluorescent sensors

A series salicylaldehyde derives with AIE properties were designed and synthesized, which can be used as potential pH and Zn²⁺ sensing.

A highly selective turn-on fluorescent probe for Al(III) based on coumarin and its application in vivo

In this study, a turn-on coumarin-based fluorescent probe, 7-hydroxy-6-[(2-hydroxy-naphthalen-1-ylmethylene)-amino]-4-methyl-chroman-2-one (CN), was developed for detecting Al(3+) in aqueous systems. The binding ratio of CN-Al(3+) complexes was determined from the Job plot and ESI-MS data to be 1 : 1. The binding constant (Ka) of Al(3+) binding to CN was calculated to be 9.55 × 10(4) M(-1) from a Benesi-Hildebrand plot and the detection limit was evaluated to be as low as 0.10 μM (LOD = 3σ/slope). CN could be used as an effective fluorescent probe for detecting Al(3+) in living HeLa cells. Moreover, CN could also be applied in the in vivo detection of Al(3+) in zebrafish.

Guest-induced single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations of a new 4-connected 3D cadmium(ii) metal–organic framework

A unique 4-connected network [Cd(pic)(H₂O)]·H₂O (1) with wheel-type hexa-nuclear SBU has been synthesized. Guest-induced single-crystal-to-single-crystal reversible transformations occurred between 1 and the desolvated crystal [Cd(pic)] (1a).

Syntheses, Structures, Characterisation, and Spectroscopic Properties of CuI and AgI Complexes with Extended C–H···π and π···π Interactions

Based on the ligands N,N′-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)benzene-1,4-diamine (pmb) and N,N′-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)biphenyl-4,4′-diamine (pmbb), the three compounds [Cu2(pmb) (PPh3)2(Cl)2] (1), [Cu2(pmbb)(CH3CN)2(PPh3)2](BF4)2·2DMF (2), and [Ag2(pmbb)(PPh3)2] (ClO4)2 (3) have been synthesised and characterised. Structural analysis reveals that all of these complexes contain 1D supramolecular arrays, with different variations in π-stacking patterns and intermolecular C–H···π interactions. Crystal structures of 1 and 2 contain 1D tape-like arrays formed by C–H···π and π···π interactions, and an ordered-layer-lattice of DMF and BF4– in 2 is located between the one-dimensional array. For 3, π-stacking interactions lead to the construction of 1D supramolecular arrays and a 2D network. The results indicate that C–H···π and π···π interactions play an important role in the construction of the supramolecular structure. In addition, the absorption peaks of complexes 1 and 3 in the solid state at room temperature show intraligand charge transfer and metal-to-ligand charge transfer absorptions. The optical and fluorescent properties of 2 were also studied in acetonitrile solution at room temperature.

Antimony tartrate transition-metal-oxo chiral clusters

A chiral precursor K2Sb2(L-tartrate)2 was used for the assembly of three homochiral heterometallic antimony(III)-tartrate transition-metal-oxo clusters: Mn(H2O)6[Fe4Mn4Sb6(μ4-O)6(μ3-O)2(l-tartrate)6(H2O)8]·10.5H2O (1), [V4Mn5Sb6(μ4-O)6(μ3-O)2(L-tartrate)6(H2O)13]·9.5H2O (2), and (H3O)[Ni(H2O)6]2[NiCrSb12(μ3-O)8(μ4-O)3(l-tartrate)6]·6H2O (3). In 1 and 2, the antimony tartrate dimer precursor decomposes and recombines to form Sb3(μ3-O)(L-tartrate)3 chiral trimers, which act as scaffolds to construct negative-charged [Fe4Mn4Sb6(μ4-O)6(μ3-O)2(L-tartrate)6](2-) in 1 and neutral [V4Mn5Sb6(μ4-O)6(μ3-O)2(L-tartrate)6] in 2. The scaffold is flexible and accommodates different types of transition-metal-oxo clusters due to the different possible coordination modes of the L-tartrate ligand. In 3, a two-level chiral scaffold Sb3(μ3-O)(L-tartrate)3Sb3 is formed from the precursor. Two such scaffolds are linked by three bridging oxygen atoms to form a cavity occupied by one Cr(3+) ion and one Ni(2+) ion disordered over two positions. Cr(3+) and Ni(2+) ions are located in two face-shared MO6 octahedra at the center of a negatively charged [NiCrSb12(μ3-O)8(μ4-O)3(L-tartrate)6](3-) cluster.