Advances in ligand-unsupported argentophilic interactions in crystal engineering: an emerging platform for supramolecular architectures

Ligand-unsupported argentophilic interactions are described, emphasizing reticular design and recent developments in advanced synthetic strategies, and highlighting diverse interactions that are useful for the construction of unmitigated networks.

Argentophilic Interactions in Two AgI Complexes of 3-(2-(Pyridin-4-yl)ethyl)pentane-2,4-dione, a Promising Ditopic Ligand

Reactions of 3-(2-(pyridin-4-yl)ethyl)pentane-2,4-dione (HacacPyen) with AgPF6 and AgBF4 afforded cationic silver complexes [Ag(HacacPyen)2]+ with essentially linear coordination of the Ag I cation by two pyridine N atoms. Rather unexpectedly, the HacacPyen ligands in the PF6- salt 1 adopt the diketo form, in contrast to the uncoordinated HacacPyen molecule, whereas the corresponding BF4- salt 2 and the majority of 3-substituted acetylacetones crystallizes as the enol tautomer. In both compounds 1 and 2, complex cations aggregate via short Ag...Ag interactions to pairs. These contacts amount to 3 . 21 Å in 1 and 3 . 26 Å or 3 . 31 Å in 2. As they are unsupported by any additional bridging ligands and correspond to the closest interionic interactions between neighbouring complex cations, they may be addressed as argentophilic interactions. The PF6- anions in 1 and the BF4- counter ions in 2 are involved in long and presumably electrostatic Ag...F contacts of ca. 2 . 9 Å. Additional coordination between Ag I and keto O atoms of symmetry-equivalent ligands occurs in 1 and leads to an extended two-periodic supramolecular structure.

N Donor substituted acetylacetones – versatile ditopic ligands

Acetylacetone (2,4-pentanedione) derivatives with N donor substituents represent ditopic ligands with coordination sites of distinctly different Pearson hardness. Deprotonation of the acetylacetone (Hacac) moiety leads to O,O′ chelating monoanionic (acac) ligands suitable for coordination to hard cations. The softer N donor site(s) preferably act as nucleophiles towards softer partners. When the organic molecules are employed as linkers and coordinate via either site, they are often selective and allow to synthesize well-ordered heterometallic solids. This review addresses the derivatives of 17 pentanediones with nitrile, pyridyl and pyrazolyl moieties as N donor substituents, with an emphasis on structurally characterized compounds. Depending on the N donor substituents and the cations, O,O′ or N coordination will dominate. The nitrile-substituted compounds essentially behave as acetylacetones; they may easily O,O′ coordinate to a wide range of cations whereas N coordination is limited to AgI, CuI or, in the case of less soft cations, to longer and presumably weaker contacts, e.g. to the more distant sites in Jahn–Teller distorted CuII. In contrast, pyridyl-substituted pentanediones act as N donor ligands, regardless whether their (H)acac site is chelating a cation or not. The still scarcely explored pyrazolyl derivative shows the most complex coordination pattern: it may be deprotonated both at the acetylacetone and the pyrazol site, the latter affording N,N′ bridging ligands. In addition to N donor nucleophilicity, the distance between the alternative coordination sites and their mutual orientation are relevant for crystal engineering applications.

Polysulfonylamines. CXCI. The `almost' polymorphs rac-trans-2-aminocyclohexan-1-aminium di(methanesulfonyl)azanide and its 0.11-hydrate

The title compound, C(6)H(15)N(2)(+)·C(2)H(6)NO(4)S(2)(-), crystallizes as a 0.11-hydrate, (I), in the space group C2; the asymmetric unit consists of two cations (one of each enantiomer), one anion on a general position, two half anions, each with the N atom on a twofold axis, and approximately one fifth of a water molecule. The general anion departs significantly from the usual conformation: it lacks one of the typical `W'-shaped sequence of O-S-N-S-O atoms. The compound also crystallizes in the solvent-free form, (II), in the space group P2(1)/c, with one formula unit in the asymmetric unit. Both compounds form ribbons of hydrogen-bonded cation dimers parallel to the b axis. In (I), there are two independent ribbons of opposite chirality, each involving one anion on a special position, and these ribbons are connected by hydrogen bonds to the anion on a general position, resulting in a layer structure parallel to (100). In (II), the chains are connected by hydrogen bonds, and again a layer structure parallel to (100) results.