Crystal engineering of metalloporphyrin assemblies. New supramolecular architectures mediated by bipyridyl ligands

Crystal structure of (4-cyano-pyridine-κN){5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(benzoyloxy)phenyl]porphyrinato-κ(4) N}zinc-4-cyano-pyridine (1/1)

In the title compound, [Zn(C72H44N4O8)(C6H4N2)]·C6H4N2 or [Zn(TPBP)(4-CNpy]·(4-CNpy) [where TPBP and 4-CNpy are 5,10,15,20-(tetra-phenyl-benzoate)porphyrinate and 4-cyano-pyridine, respectively], the Zn(II) cation is chelated by four pyrrole-N atoms of the porphyrinate anion and coordinated by a pyridyl-N atom of the 4-CNpy axial ligand in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The average Zn-N(pyrrole) bond length is 2.060 (6) Å and the Zn-N(4-CNpy) bond length is 2.159 (2) Å. The zinc cation is displaced by 0.319 (1) Å from the N4C20 mean plane of the porphyrinate anion toward the 4-cyano-pyridine axial ligand. This porphyrinate macrocycle exhibits major saddle and moderate ruffling and doming deformations. In the crystal, the [Zn(TPBP)(4-CNpy)] complex mol-ecules are linked together via weak C-H⋯N, C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π inter-actions, forming supra-molecular channels parallel to the c axis. The non-coordinating 4-cyano-pyridine mol-ecules are located in the channels and linked with the complex mol-ecules, via weak C-H⋯N inter-actions and π-π stacking or via weak C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π inter-actions. The non-coordinating 4-cyano-pyridine mol-ecule is disordered over two positions with an occupancy ratio of 0.666 (4):0.334 (4).

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.

Isomorphous free-base, Ni(ii)- and Cu(ii)-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin nitrobenzene hexasolvates with tetragonal 3D hydrogen-bonded network structures

The crystal structures of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-hydroxyphenyl)-21,23H-porphyrin nitrobenzene hexasolvate (1), 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrinatonickel(ii) and -copper(ii)nitrobenzene hexasolvates (2and3) are described.

Control of the spatial arrangements of supramolecular networks based on saddle-distorted porphyrins by intermolecular hydrogen bonding

Supramolecular integration of a saddle-distorted zinc(II) porphyrin complex, which has hydroxyl groups at the para-position of the four meso-aryl groups, has been demonstrated on the basis of hydrogen bonding among the peripheral hydroxyl groups. The hydrogen-bonding patterns were controlled by the recrystallization solvents and additives, and particularly, addition of a bifunctional ligand such as 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy). The coordination of bpy to form dinuclear Zn(II)-porphyrin complexes causes a conformational difference: the dimeric complex with four hydroxyl groups is in an eclipsed form, however, a derivative without hydroxyl groups is in a staggered form due to the presence or absence of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding. In addition, the dimerization by the bpy coordination resulted in the expansion of the intermolecular space formed in the porphyrin networks, suggesting the potential to be applied for inclusion of guest molecules.

Acidification and assembly of porphyrin at an interface: counterion matching, selectivity, and supramolecular chirality

The interfacial diprotonation and assemblies of a free-base achiral porphyrin, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine, on various acidic subphases were investigated. It has been shown that the compound could be diprotonated in situ on an acidic subphase and can form assemblies. The interfacially organized supramolecular assemblies were transferred onto a solid substrate, and the assemblies showed supramolecular chirality. Interestingly, the supramolecular chirality of the assemblies of the diprotonated species showed a counterion-dependent behavior. For the assemblies fabricated from the aqueous HCl subphases, a strong Cotton effect (CE) could be observed, although the porphyrin itself is achiral. When an aqueous HBr solution was used as the subphase, the assemblies showed a weak CE, whereas no CE could be detected for the assemblies formulated from the HNO3 or HI subphase. Interestingly, when a mixture of HBr and NaCl, or HNO3 and NaCl, was employed as the subphase, the formed assemblies displayed chiral features similar to those fabricated on the HCl subphase, suggesting that the Cl(-) could be preferentially visualized in terms of supramolecular chirality, although the system itself is composed of achiral species. On the basis of the experimental facts and a theoretical calculation, an explanation with regard to the different sizes of the counterions and the distinct binding affinities of the counteranions to the diprotonated porphyrin species has been proposed. Our findings provide new insights into the assembly of the diprotonated porphyrins as well as the interfacially occurring symmetry breaking.

Nanoporous crystals of calixarene/porphyrin supramolecular complex functionalized by diffusion and coordination of metal ions

A highly nanoporous material has been obtained by self-assembly of calixarene and porphyrin building blocks. This supramolecular zeolite-like structure was successively functionalized by diffusion and coordination of metal ions to form a new bifunctionalized nanoporous material containing a porphyrinic pigment together with a metal center.

The assembly of supramolecular boxes and coordination polymers based on bis-zinc-salphen building blocks

We report the assembly of supramolecular boxes and coordination polymers based on a rigid bis-zinc(II)-salphen complex and various ditopic nitrogen ligands. The use of the bis-zinc(II)-salphen building block in combination with small ditopic nitrogen ligands gave organic coordination polymers both in solution as well as in the solid state. Molecular modeling shows that supramolecular boxes with small internal cavities can be formed. However, the inability to accommodate solvent molecules (such as toluene) in these cavities explains why coordination polymers are prevailing over well-defined boxes, as it would lead to an energetically unfavorable vacuum. In contrast, for relatively longer ditopic nitrogen ligands, we observed the selective formation of supramolecular box assemblies in all cases studied. The approach can be easily extended to chiral analogues by using chiral ditopic nitrogen ligands.

Crystal engineering of porphyrin framework solids

This article describes recent achievements made by us and other groups in targeted synthesis of porphyrin-based framework solids by various non-covalent mechanisms of molecular recognition. The self-assembly processes are effected in a tunable manner either by direct association of suitably designed porphyrin building blocks, or by their supramolecular aggregation through external linkers as metal ions and organic bi-dentate ligands. Many of these crystalline porphyrin materials exhibit open architectures and remarkable structural integrity, and their potential application for selective guest storage and molecular sieving is highlighted.