The Oxamate Anion: A Flexible Building Block of Hydrogen-Bonded Architectures for Crystal Engineering

Multistimuli-responsive multicolor solid-state luminescence tuned by NH-dependent switchable hydrogen bonds

Revealing the stimuli-responsive mechanism is the key to the accurate design of stimuli-responsive luminescent materials. We report herein the multistimuli-responsive multicolor solid-state luminescence of a new dicopper(I) complex [{Cu(bpmtzH)}2(μ-dppa)2](ClO4)2 (1), and the multistimuli-responsive mechanism is clarified by investigating its four different solvated compounds 1·2CH3COCH3·2H2O, 1·2DMSO·2H2O, 1·4CH3OH, and 1·4CH2Cl2. It is shown that luminescence mechanochromism is associated with the breakage of the hydrogen bonds of bmptzH-NH with counter-ions such as ClO4- induced by grinding, while luminescence vapochromism is attributable to the breaking and forming of hydrogen bonds of dppa-NH with solvents, such as acetone, dimethylsulfoxide, and methanol, caused by heating and vapor fuming. In addition, those results might provide new insights into the design and synthesis of multistimuli-responsive multicolor luminescent materials by using various structure-sensitive functional groups, such as distinct N-H ones, to construct switchable hydrogen bonds.

Mechanochromic and Selective Vapochromic Solid-State Luminescence of a Dinuclear Cuprous Complex

The unraveling of the stimuli-responsive mechanism is crucial to the design and precise synthesis of stimuli-responsive luminescent materials. We report herein the mechanochromic and selective vapochromic solid-state luminescence properties of a new bimetallic cuprous complex [{Cu(bpmtzH)}2(μ-dppm)2](ClO4)2 (1), and the corresponding response mechanisms are elucidated by investigating its two different solvated polymorphs 1·2CH2Cl2 (1-g) and 1·2CHCl3 (1-c). Green-emissive 1-g and cyan-emissive 1-c can be interconverted upon alternate exposure to CHCl3 and CH2Cl2 vapors, which is principally attributable to a combined alteration of both intermolecular NHbpmtzH···OClO3- hydrogen bonds and intramolecular "triazolyl/phenyl" π···π interactions induced by different solvents. Solid-state luminescence mechanochromism present in 1-g and 1-c is mainly ascribed to the grinding-induced breakage of the NHbpmtzH···OClO3- hydrogen bonds. It is suggested that intramolecular π···π-triazolyl/phenyl interactions are affected by different solvents but not by grinding. The results provide new insights into the design and precise synthesis of multi-stimuli-responsive luminescent materials by the comprehensive use of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and intramolecular π···π interactions.

Thermo-, Mechano-, and Vapochromic Dinuclear Cuprous-Emissive Complexes with a Switchable CH3CN-Cu Bond

A thermo-, mechano-, and vapochromic bimetallic cuprous-emissive complex has been reported, and the origin and application of its tri-stimuli-responsive luminescence have been explored. As revealed by single-crystal structure analysis, thermo- and vapochromic luminescence adjusted by heating at 60 °C and CH₃CN vapor fuming, accompanied by a crystalline-to-crystalline transition, is due to the breaking and rebuilding of the CH₃CN-Cu bond, as supported by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) analyses of the CH₃CN-coordinated species [Cu₂(μ-dppa)₂(μ-η¹(N)η²(N,N)-fptz)(CH₃CN)](ClO₄)·H₂O (1) and its CH₃CN-removed derivative [Cu₂(μ-dppa)₂(μ-η¹(N)η²(N,N)-fptz)](ClO₄)·H₂O (2). Luminescence mechanochromism, mixed with a crystalline-to-amorphous transition where the initial crystalline is different for 1 and 2, is mainly assigned as the destruction of the CH₃CN-Cu bonding and/or the O···HN_dppa and OH···N_triazolyl hydrogen bonds. It is also suggested that a rational use of switchable coordination such as weak metal-solvent bonding is a feasible approach to develop multi-stimuli-responsive luminescent materials and devices.

Mechanism for Fluorescence Quenching of Tryptophan by Oxamate and Pyruvate: Conjugation and Solvation-Induced Photoinduced Electron Transfer

Oxamate and pyruvate are isoelectronic molecules. They both quench tryptophan fluorescence with Stern-Volmer constants of 16 and 20 M^-1, respectively, which are comparable to that of arcrylamide, a commonly used probe for protein structure. On the other hand, it is well known that neither the carboxylate group of these molecules nor the amide group is a good quencher. To find the mechanism of the quenching by oxamate and pyruvate, density functional theory computations with a polarizable continuum model, solvation based on density, and explicit waters, were performed. Results indicate that both molecules can be an electron acceptor via photoinduced electron transfer. There are two requirements. First, the carboxylate and amide moieties must be in direct contact to bring about noticeable quenching. The conjugation between the amide (or the keto) group and the carboxylate group leads to a lower π* orbital, which is the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), and can then accept an electron from the excited tryptophan. Second, since oxamate and pyruvate ions have high electron density, hydrogen bonds with waters, which can be simulated by an explicit water model, are essential. Their LUMO energies are strongly influenced by water in aqueous solution. The above findings demonstrate how tryptophan fluorescence gets quenched in aqueous solution. The findings may be important in dealing with those problems where frontier orbitals are considered, especially with molecules having high electron density.

Density functional theory modelling of protective agents for carbonate stones: a case study of oxalate and oxamate inorganic salts

DFT calculations allowed investigating the ability of oxalate monoesters and monoamides salts to act as protective agents for carbonate stones, such as marble or limestones, of historical interest in the field of cultural heritage.

Strong asymmetric hydrogen bonding in 2-(oxamoylamino)ethylammonium oxamate-oxamic acid (1/1)

The title compound, C(4)H(10)N(3)O(2)(+) x C(2)H(2)NO(3)(-) x C(2)H(3)NO(3), contains at least 11 distinct hydrogen-bond interactions showing a great variety of bond strengths. The shortest and strongest hydrogen bond [O...O = 2.5004 (12) A] is found between the uncharged oxamic acid molecule and the oxamate monoanion. The grouping formed by such a strong hydrogen bond can thus be considered as a hydrogen bis(oxamate) monoanion. It lacks crystallographic symmetry and the two oxamate groups have different conformations, showing an asymmetric hydrogen-bond interaction. Significantly, the asymmetry allows us to draw a direct comparison of site basicity for the two inequivalent carboxylate O atoms in the planar oxamate anion. The constituent molecular ions of (I) form ribbons, where all amide and carboxylate groups are coplanar. Graph-set analysis of the hydrogen-bonded networks reveals the R(2)(2)(10) and R(2)(2)(9) homodromic nets as important structure-directing motifs, which appear to be a common feature of many oxamate-containing compounds.

Engineering the structure and magnetic properties of crystalline solids via the metal-directed self-assembly of a versatile molecular building unit

We report the supramolecular chemistry of several metal complexes of N-(4-pyridyl)benzamide (NPBA) with the general formula [Ma(NPBA)2AbSc], where M = Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Ag+; A = NO3-, OAc-; S = MeOH, H2O; a = 0, 1, 2; b = 0, 1, 2, 4; and c = 0, 2. NPBA contains structural features that can engage in three modes of intermolecular interactions: (1) metal-ligand coordination, (2) hydrogen bonding, and (3) pi-pi stacking. NPBA forms one-dimensional (1-D) chains governed by hydrogen bonding, but when reacted with metal ions, it generates a wide variety of supramolecular scaffolds that control the arrangement of periodic nanostructures and form 1- (2-4), 2- (5), or 3-D (6-10) solid-state networks of hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking interactions in the crystal. Isostructural 7-9 exhibit a 2-D hydrogen bonding network that promotes topotaxial growth of single crystals of their isostructural family and generates crystal composites with two (11) and three (12) different components. Furthermore, 7-9 can also form crystalline solid solutions (M,M')(NPBA)2(NO3)2(MeOH)2 (M, M' = Co2+, Ni2+, or Zn2+, 13-16), where mixtures of Co2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ share the same crystal lattice in different proportions to allow the formation of materials with modulated magnetic moments. Finally, we report the effects that multidimensional noncovalent networks exert on the magnetic moments between 2 and 300 K of 1-D (4), 2-D (5), and 3-D (7, 8, 10, and 13-16) paramagnetic networks.

Lamellar organic thin films through self-assembly and molecular recognition

Molecular clips possessing U-shaped cavities have been functionalized on their convex side with long aliphatic tails. These molecules form dimers which self-assemble into malleable lamellar thin films. Upon addition of a guest (methyl 3,5-dihydroxybenzoate), a 1:1 host-guest complex is formed, which prohibits clip dimerization. As a result, the lamellar structure of the material is lost. Complexation of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid in the clip results in host-guest complexes which dimerize by hydrogen bonding interactions between the carboxylic acid functions of the bound guests. This dimerization restores the lamellar type architecture of the material.

Crystal Engineering in [(12C4)(2)Na][Cd(SCN)(3)]: First Example of an Anionic Cadmium Thiocyanate Coordination Solid with a Sandwich [(12C4)(2)Na](+) Cation as Spacer/Controller, Resulting in a Hexagonal Arrangement of Antiparallel Zigzag [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) Chains

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and structure of [(12C4)(2)Na][Cd(SCN)(3)] (3). The title compound 3 represents the first example of an anionic cadmium thiocyanate coordination solid in which a sandwich [(12C4)(2)Na](+) monocation serves as the spacer/controller, giving rise to a hexagonal array of antiparallel infinite zigzag [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) chains with the cations occupying the triangular channels. The title compound 3 crystallizes in a monoclinic unit cell of P2(1)/n space group symmetry with lattice parameters of 13.204(2) Å, 10.692(2) Å, 21.036(1) Å, 95.520(8) degrees, and Z = 4. A detailed comparison of the title structure (3) with that of [(18C6)(2)Na(2)(H(2)O)(2)](1/2)[Cd(SCN)(3)] (1) and [(18C6)K][Cd(SCN)(3)] (2) revealed that the arrangement and the alignment of the infinite anionic [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) zigzag chains are dictated by the dimensions and symmetry, respectively, of the cations. The infinite anionic [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) chains in 1 and 2 form an approximate tetragonal array, creating square channels which are filled with the dimeric [(18C6)(2)Na(2)(H(2)O)(2)](2+) (in 1) or with two monomeric [(18C6)K](+) (in 2) cations while the infinite anionic [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) chains in 3 adopt an approximate hexagonal arrangement with the triangular channels filled by the smaller [(12C4)(2)Na](+) cations (the dimension effect). The relative alignment (either parallel or antiparallel) of the anionic chains is dictated by the symmetry or approximate symmetry of the cations. Thus, both the dimeric cation in 1 and the sandwich cation in 3 give rise to antiparallel alignment of the anionic [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) chains with the centrosymmetric space group P2(1)/n whereas the disklike cation in 2 gives rise to parallel alignment of [Cd(SCN)(3)(-)](infinity) chains with noncentrosymmetric space group Cmc2(1) (the symmetry effect).