Crystallization and single molecule magnetic behavior of quadruple-stranded helicates: tuning the anisotropic axes

[α-AsW9O33]9- bridged hexagonal clusters of Ln(III) showing field induced SMM behavior: experimental and theoretical insight

Polyoxometalates (POM), as inorganic polydentate oxygen donors, provide binding opportunities for oxophilic lanthanide metal centers to construct novel Ln-substituted POM materials with exciting structures and attractive properties. Herein, we have reported four arsenotungstate [α-AsW₉O₃₃]^9- based lanthanide-containing polyoxometalates [Cs_xK_36-x{Ln₆(H₂O)₁₂(α-AsW₉O₃₃)₆}]·yH₂O (Ln = Er (1), Gd (2), Ho (3), and Tb (4)), which are synthesized in an alkaline medium. Complexes 1-3 are the dimeric structures of [Ln₃(H₂O)₆(α-AsW₉O₃₃)₃]^18- polyanions, whereas complex 4 is a hexamer of the polyanion [Tb (H₂O)₂(α-AsW₉O₃₃)]^6- as a building unit. In all the complexes, [α-AsW₉O₃₃]^9- units are staggered up and down and give rise to the chair conformation, where one [α-AsW₉O₃₃]^9- unit bridges two Ln(III) centers through four μ₂-oxygen and two terminal oxygen atoms, resulting in the hexagonal arrangement of lanthanides. The dynamic magnetic measurement indicates that only complex 1 exhibits slow relaxation of magnetization with an applied dc field (1500 Oe). To gain insight into the slow relaxation of magnetization in complex 1, the ligand-field parameters and the splitting of the ground-state multiplet of the Er(III) ions have been estimated. The ab initio calculation results confirm that the ground state wave function of these molecules (1, 3, and 4) is mainly composed of a mixture of m_J states, and the non-axial crystal field (CF) terms are more predominant than the axial CF term. The solid-state fluorescence spectra of 1-4 reveal that the photoexcitation O → M ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) of arsenotungstate fragments is effectively quenched due to the spatial coordination environment around the Ln(III) ion.

Schiff Bases Functionalized with T-Butyl Groups as Adequate Ligands to Extended Assembly of Cu(II) Helicates

The study of the inherent factors that influence the isolation of one type of metallosupramolecular architecture over another is one of the main objectives in the field of Metallosupramolecular Chemistry. In this work, we report two new neutral copper(II) helicates, [Cu₂(L¹)₂]·4CH₃CN and [Cu₂(L²)₂]·CH₃CN, obtained by means of an electrochemical methodology and derived from two Schiff-based strands functionalized with ortho and para-t-butyl groups on the aromatic surface. These small modifications let us explore the relationship between the ligand design and the structure of the extended metallosupramolecular architecture. The magnetic properties of the Cu(II) helicates were explored by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and Direct Current (DC) magnetic susceptibility measurements.

Maximized axial helicity in a Pd2L4 cage: inverse guest size-dependent compression and mesocate isomerism

Helicity is an archetypal structural motif of many biological systems and provides a basis for molecular recognition in DNA. Whilst artificial supramolecular hosts are often helical, the relationship between helicity and guest encapsulation is not well understood. We report a detailed study on a significantly coiled-up Pd₂L₄ metallohelicate with an unusually wide azimuthal angle (∼176°). Through a combination of NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, trapped ion mobility mass spectrometry and isothermal titration calorimetry we show that the coiled-up cage exhibits extremely tight anion binding (K of up to 10⁶ M^-1) by virtue of a pronounced oblate/prolate cavity expansion, whereby the Pd-Pd separation decreases for mono-anionic guests of increasing size. Electronic structure calculations point toward strong dispersion forces contributing to these host-guest interactions. In the absence of a suitable guest, the helical cage exists in equilibrium with a well-defined mesocate isomer that possesses a distinct cavity environment afforded by a doubled Pd-Pd separation distance.

Heterometallic Molecular Architectures Based on Fluorinated β-Diketone Ligands

This review summarizes the data on the synthesis of coordination compounds containing two or more different metal ions based on fluorinated β-diketonates. Heterometallic systems are of high interest in terms of their potential use in catalysis, medicine and diagnostics, as well as in the development of effective sensor devices and functional materials. Having a rich history in coordination chemistry, fluorinated β-diketones are well-known ligands generating a wide variety of heterometallic complexes. In this context, we focused on both the synthetic approaches to β-dicarbonyl ligands with additional coordination centers and their possible transformations in complexation reactions. The review describes bi- and polynuclear structures in which β-diketones are the key building blocks in the formation of a heterometallic framework, including the examples of both homo- and heteroleptic complexes.

Synergistic effect of mixed ligands on the anisotropy axis of two dinuclear dysprosium complexes

We present the synergistic effect of mixed ligands on the anisotropy axis of two dinuclear dysprosium complexes.