Thiacalix[4]arene-protected alkynyl Agn (n = 9, 18) nanoclusters: syntheses, structural characterizations, photocurrent responses and fluorescence properties

Two thiacalix[4]arene-protected silver(I) alkynyl nanoclusters, [Na2(H2O)2][Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4(CH3OH)2(SbF6)0.5(OH)2.5]·3.5H2O·CH3OH (1, abbreviated as Ag9) and [Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4(CF3COO)]2·4CH3OH (2, abbreviated as Ag18), were synthesized by the reaction of [tBuCCAg]n, p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (H4TC4A), NaBH4, and AgSbF6 or CF3COOAg in the mixed solvent of methanol-trichloromethane-toluene under solvothermal conditions, respectively. Driven by SbF6- and CF3COO- with different coordination properties, the structural unit [Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4]+ in both the compounds migrated in different modes, accompanied by distinct Ag⋯Ag distances. Ag9 and Ag18 exhibit similar UV-Vis absorption and diffuse reflection spectra along with contrary tendency between photocurrent responses and solid-state fluorescence. The solution stability of Ag9 and Ag18 was demonstrated by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The fluorescence responses of Ag9 and Ag18 towards different organic molecules were also investigated, which indicated that the polarity of solvent has a certain effect on the emission intensities of Ag9 and Ag18. This study provides a positive guide for the controlled synthesis and further study of the structure-activity relationship of thiacalix[4]arene-protected silver alkynyl nanoclusters.

Trinuclear cationic silver nanoclusters based-on bis-(phosphine) ligands and stabilized by CF3SO3− anions

Three trinuclear cationic silver nanoclusters based-on bis-(phosphine) ligands and stabilized by CF₃SO₃⁻ anions, displayed excellent photocurrent responses and electrochemical properties.

Structural characterization and gas-phase studies of the [Ag10H8(L)6]2+ nanocluster dication

The reactions between silver salts and borohydrides produce a rich set of products that range from discrete mononuclear compounds through to silver nanoparticles and colloids. Previous studies using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to track the cationic products in solutions containing sodium borohydride, silver(i) tetrafluoroborate and the bisphosphine ligands, L, bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) and bis(diphenylphosphino)amine (dppa) have identified the dications [Ag₁₀H₈(L)₆]²⁺. Here we isolate and structurally characterize [Ag₁₀H₈(dppa)₆](BF₄)₂, and [Ag₁₀H₈(dppa)₆](NO₃)₂via X-ray crystallography. Both dications have nearly identical structural features consisting of a Ag₁₀ scaffold with the atoms lying on vertices of a bicapped square antiprism. DFT calculations were carried out to suggest potential sites for the hydrides. Ion-mobility mass spectrometry experiments revealed that [Ag₁₀H₈(dppa)₆]²⁺ and [Ag₁₀H₈(dppm)₆]²⁺ have similar collision cross sections, while multistage mass spectrometry experiments were used to compare their unimolecular gas-phase chemistry. Although the same initial sequential ligand loss followed by cluster fission and H₂ evolution is observed, the more acidic N-H of the dppa provides a more labile H for H₂ loss and H/D scrambling processes as revealed by isotope labelled experiments.

Mono- and polynuclear Ag(i) complexes of N-functionalized bis(diphenylphosphino)amine DPPA-type ligands: synthesis, solid-state structures and reactivity

DPPA-type ligands (Ph₂P)₂N(p-Z)C₆H₄ (Z = H, SMe, OMe) led to Ag(i) complexes of various nuclearities and an unexpected influence of the para-substituent Z is observed, including for CH₂Cl₂ activation.

Functional Short-Bite Ligands: Synthesis, Coordination Chemistry, and Applications of N-Functionalized Bis(diaryl/dialkylphosphino)amine-type Ligands

The aim of this review is to highlight how the diversity generated by N-substitution in the well-known short-bite ligand bis(diphenylphosphino)amine (DPPA) allows a fine-tuning of the ligand properties and offers a considerable scope for tailoring the properties and applications of their corresponding metal complexes. The various N-substituents include nitrogen-, oxygen-, phosphorus-, sulfur-, halogen-, and silicon-based functionalities and directly N-bound metals. Multiple DPPA-type ligands linked through an organic spacer and N-functionalized DRPA-type ligands, in which the PPh2 substituents are replaced by PR2 (R = alkyl, benzyl) groups, are also discussed. Owing to the considerable diversity of N-functionalized DPPA-type ligands available, the applications of their mono- and polynuclear metal complexes are very diverse and range from homogeneous catalysis with well-defined or in situ generated (pre)catalysts to heterogeneous catalysis and materials science. In particular, sustained interest for DPPA-type ligands has been motivated, at least in part, by their ability to promote selective ethylene tri- or tetramerization in combination with chromium. Ligands and metal complexes where the N-substituent is a pure hydrocarbon group (as opposed to N-functionalization) are outside the scope of this review. However, when possible, a comparison between the catalytic performances of N-functionalized systems with those of their N-substituted analogs will be provided.

Zwitterionic Cobalt Complexes with Bis(diphenylphosphino)(N-thioether)amine Assembling Ligands: Structural, EPR, Magnetic, and Computational Studies

The coordination of two heterofunctional P,P,S ligands of the N-functionalized DPPA-type bearing an alkylthioether or arylthioether N-substituent, (Ph2P)2N(CH2)3SMe (1) and (Ph2P)2N(p-C6H4)SMe (2), respectively, toward cobalt dichloride was investigated to examine the influence of the linker between the PNP nitrogen and the S atoms. The complexes [CoCl2(1)]2 (3) and [CoCl2(2)]2 (4) have been isolated, and 3 was shown by X-ray diffraction to be a unique dinuclear, zwitterion containing one CoCl moiety bis-chelated by two ligands 1 and one CoCl3 fragment coordinated by the S atom of a thioether function. The FT-IR, UV-vis, and EPR spectroscopic features of 3 were analyzed as the superposition of those of constitutive fragments identified by a retrosynthetic-type analysis. A similar approach provided insight into the nature of 4 for which no X-ray diffraction data could be obtained. A comparison between the spectroscopic features of 4 and of its constitutive fragments, [CoCl(2)2]PF6 (7) and [H2']2[CoCl4] (8) (2' = NH2(p-C6H4)SMe), and between those of 4 and 3 suggested that 4 could either have a zwitterionic structure, similar to that of 3, or contain a tetrahedral dicationic bis-chelated Co center associated with a CoCl4 dianion. Magnetic and EPR studies and theoretical calculations were performed. Doublet spin states were found for the pentacoordinated complexes [CoCl(1)2]PF6 (5) and 7 and anisotropic quadruplet spin states for the tetrahedral complexes [CoCl3(H1')] (6) (1' = NH2(CH2)3SMe) and 8. A very similar behavior was observed for 3 and 4, consisting in the juxtaposition of noninteracting doublet and quadruplet spin states. Antiferromagnetic interactions explain the formation of dimers for 6 and of layers for 8. The EPR signatures of 3 and 4 correspond to the superposition of low-spin nuclei in 5 and 7 and high-spin nuclei in 6 and 8, respectively. From DFT calculations, the solid-state structure of 4 appears best described as zwitterionic, with a low-spin state for the Co1 atom.

Synthesis, Structures, and Properties of Polynuclear Silver(I) Complexes Containing Tetra-Phosphine Ligand with Ag⋅⋅⋅C Interactions

Reaction of AgNO3 and N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis((diphenylphosphino)methyl)benzene-1,4-diamine (pbaa) with sodium N-ethyldithiocarbamate (Na(Etdtc)) in CH3CN/toluene and CH3CN/DMF solvents produced two Ag4S4-based coordination complexes [Ag4(pbaa)(µ-κ1S,κ2S-Etdtc)4] (1) and [Ag4(pbaa)(µ-κ1S,κ2S-Etdtc)2(µ-κ1S,κ1S-Etdtc)2] (2). Structural analysis shows that the Ag4S4 cores in 1 are interconnected by one pbaa ligand in a tetradentate mode and four Etdtc– anions in a µ-κ1S,κ2S mode to form a three-layer conformation, whereas the Ag4S4 cores in 2 are linked by ligands pbaa (the tetradentate mode) and Etdtc– (the µ-κ1S,κ1S and µ-κ1S,κ2S modes) to yield the other type of three-layer conformation. In addition, in different solvent systems, the Ag atoms also form different types of weak Ag···C interactions with Ag···C distances of 3.297–3.344 Å in 1 and 3.237–3.416 Å in 2. The emission spectrum of complex 1 in DMF solution displays a broad orange–red emission peak at 518 nm, which may be assigned to the ligand-to-metal charge transfer transition.

Thioether-terminated nickel(ii) coordination clusters with {Ni6} horseshoe- and {Ni8} rollercoaster-shaped cores

We report two polynuclear nickel(ii) compounds whose supramolecular structures are controlled by small inorganic templating anions and π-conjugated Schiff-base ligands (L·SMe³⁻ and HL·SMe²⁻) with peripheral, structurally exposed methylthioether groups.

Synthesis, structure, and optical properties of Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with oxazolyl- and pyridyl-functionalized DPPM-type ligands: a combined experimental and theoretical study

New square-planar complexes [Pt(1(-H))2] (2a) [1(-H) = (oxazolin-2-yl)bis(diphenylphosphino)methanide] and [Pd(1(-H))2] (2b), of general formula [M{(Ph2P)2C---C---NCH2CH2O}2] (M = Pt, 2a; M = Pd, 2b), result from deprotonation of 2-{bis(diphenylphosphino)methyl}oxazoline (1) at the PCHP site. The new, functionalized dppm-type ligand 4-{bis(diphenylphosphino)methyl}pyridine, (Ph2P)2CH(4-C5H4N) (4), was prepared by double lithiation and phosphorylation of 4-picoline. In the presence of NEt3, the reactions of 2 equiv of 4 with [PtCl2(NCPh)2] and [Pd(acac)2] (acac = acetylacetonate) afforded [Pt(4(-H))2] (5a) [4(-H) = bis(diphenylphosphino)(pyridin-4-yl)methanide] and [Pd(4(-H))2] (5b), of general formula [M{(Ph2P)2C(4-C5H4N)}2] (M = Pt, 5a; M = Pd, 5b), respectively. In the absence of base, the reactions of 2 equiv of 4 with [PtCl2(NCPh)2] and [PdCl2(NCPh)2] afforded (5a·2HCl) (6a) and (5b·2HCl) (6b), respectively, in which the PCHP proton of 4 has migrated from carbon to nitrogen to give a pyridinium derivative of general formula [M{(Ph2P)2C(4-C5H4NH)}2]Cl2 (M = Pt, 6a; M = Pd, 6b). The complexes 3a, 5a·2MeOH, and 6b·4CH2Cl2 have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. The absorption/emission properties of the Pt(II) complexes 2a and 5a and the Pd(II) complexes 2b and 5b have been investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy and theoretical analysis based on density functional theory. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the neutral complexes recorded in dilute N,N'-dimethylformamide solutions are dominated by intense spin-allowed intraligand transitions in the region below 350 nm. The complexes exhibit charge-transfer bands between 350 and 500 nm. The experimental and theoretical absorption spectra agree qualitatively and point to two low-lying ligand-to-metal charge transfer states that contribute to the bands observed between 350 and 500 nm. The complexes are emissive in frozen solutions at 77 K, in the pure solid state, and when doped into films of poly(methyl methacrylate) but are nonemissive in solution. A red shift is observed when Pt(II) is replaced by Pd(II).

A comparative synthetic, magnetic and theoretical study of functional M₄Cl₄ cubane-type Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes

We describe the synthesis, structures, and magnetochemistry of new M4Cl4 cubane-type cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes with the formula [M(μ3-Cl)Cl(HL·S)]4 (1: M = Co; 2: M = Ni), where HL·S represents a pyridyl-alcohol-type ligand with a thioether functional group, introduced to allow subsequent binding to Au surfaces. Dc and ac magnetic susceptibility data of 1 and 2 were modeled with a full spin Hamiltonian implemented in the computational framework CONDON 2.0. Although both coordination clusters 1 and 2 are isostructural, with each of their transition metal ions in a pseudo-octahedral coordination environment of four Cl atoms and N,O-donor atoms of one chelating HL·S ligand, the substantially different ligand field effects of Co(II) and Ni(II) results in stark differences in their magnetism. In contrast to compound 1 which exhibits a dominant antiferromagnetic intramolecular coupling (J = -0.14 cm(-1)), 2 is characterised by a ferromagnetic coupling (J = +10.6 cm(-1)) and is considered to be a single-molecule magnet (SMM), a feature of special interest for future surface deposition studies. An analysis based on density functional theory (DFT) was performed to explore possible magnetostructural correlations in these compounds. Using a two-J model Hamiltonian, it revealed that compound 1 has four positive and two (small) negative J(Co···Co) isotropic interactions leading to a S(HS) = 6 ground state. Taking into account the magnetic anisotropy, one would recover a M(S) = 0 ground state since D > 0 from computations. In 2, all the J constants are positive and, in this framework, the zero-field splitting energy characterising the axial anisotropy was estimated to be negative (D = -0.44 cm(-1)). The computational results are consistent with compound 2 being an SMM.