Sulfate-bridged dimeric trinuclear copper(II)-pyrazolate complex with three different terminal ligands

Capped Nanojars: Synthesis, Solution and Solid-State Characterization, and Atmospheric CO2 Sequestration by Selective Binding of Carbonate

Nanojars are a class of supramolecular anion-incarcerating coordination complexes that self-assemble from Cu²⁺ ions, pyrazole, and a strong base in the presence of highly hydrophilic anions. In this work, we show that if the strong base (e.g., NaOH or Bu₄NOH) is replaced by a weak base such as a trialkylamine, capped nanojars of the formula [{Cu₃(μ₃-OH)(μ-pz)₃L₃}CO₃⊂{Cu(μ-OH)(μ-pz)}_n] (pz = pyrazolate anion; L = neutral donor molecule; n = 27-31) are obtained instead of the conventional nanojars. Yet, to obtain capped nanojars, the conjugate acid side product originating from the weak base must be separated by transferring it to water either by precipitation of the water-insoluble capped nanojars or by liquid-liquid extraction. Full characterization using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV-vis and variable-temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy in solution, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, and solubility studies in the solid state reveals similarities as well as drastic differences between capped nanojars and nanojars lacking the [Cu₃(μ₃-OH)(μ-pz)₃L₃]²⁺ cap. Acid-base reactivity studies demonstrate that capped nanojars are intermediates in the pH-controlled assembly-disassembly of nanojars. During the self-assembly of capped nanojars, CO₂ is selectively sequestered from air in the presence of other atmospheric gases and converted to carbonate, the binding of which is selective in the presence of NO₃^-, ClO₄^-, BF₄^-, Cl^-, and Br^- ions.

Bis(μ2-benzoato-κ2 O,O′)bis(benzoato-κO)bis(ethanol-κO)bis(μ3-hydroxido)hexakis(μ-pyrazolato-κ2 N,N′)hexacopper(II) ethanol disolvate

Trinuclear copper–pyrazolate entities are present in various Cu-based enzymes and nanojar supramolecular arrangements. The reaction of copper(II) chloride with pyrazole (pzH) and sodium benzoate (benzNa) assisted by microwave radiation afforded a neutral centrosymmetric hexanuclear copper(II) complex, [Cu6(C7H5O2)4(OH)2(C3H3N2)6(C2H5OH)2]·2C2H5OH. Half a molecule is present in the asymmetric unit that comprises a [Cu3(μ3-OH)(pz)3]2+ core with the copper(II) atoms arranged in an irregular triangle. The three copper(II) atoms are bridged by an O atom of the central hydroxyl group and by three bridging pyrazolate ligands on each of the sides. The carboxylate groups show a chelating mode to one and a bridging syn,syn mode to the other two CuII atoms. The coordination environment of one CuII atom is square-planar while it is distorted square-pyramidal for the other two. Two ethanol molecules are present in the asymmetric unit, one binding to one of the CuII atoms, one as a solvent molecule. In the crystal, stabilization arises from intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions.

Halogen-bonded network of trinuclear copper(II) 4-iodo-pyrazolate complexes formed by mutual breakdown of chloro-form and nanojars

Crystals of bis-(tetra-butyl-ammonium) di-μ3-chlorido--tris-(μ2-4-iodo-pyrazolato-κ2N:N')tris-[chlorido-cuprate(II)] 1,4-dioxane hemisolvate, (C16H36N)2[Cu3(C3H2IN2)3Cl5]·0.5C4H8O or (Bu4N)2[CuII3(μ3-Cl)2(μ-4-I-pz)3Cl3]·0.5C4H8O, were obtained by evaporating a solution of (Bu4N)2[{CuII(μ-OH)(μ-4-I-pz)} n CO3] (n = 27-31) nanojars in chloro-form/1,4-dioxane. The decomposition of chloro-form in the presence of oxygen and moisture provides HCl, which leads to the breakdown of nanojars to the title trinuclear copper(II) pyrazolate complex, and possibly CuII ions and free 4-iodo-pyrazole. CuII ions, in turn, act as catalyst for the accelerated decomposition of chloro-form, ultimately leading to the complete breakdown of nanojars. The crystal structure presented here provides the first structural description of a trinuclear copper(II) pyrazolate complex with iodine-substituted pyrazoles. In contrast to related trinuclear complexes based on differently substituted 4-R-pyrazoles (R = H, Cl, Br, Me), the [Cu3(μ-4-I-pz)3Cl3] core in the title complex is nearly planar. This difference is likely a result of the presence of the iodine substituent, which provides a unique, novel feature in copper pyrazolate chemistry. Thus, the iodine atoms form halogen bonds with the terminal chlorido ligands of the surrounding complexes [mean length of I⋯Cl contacts = 3.48 (1) Å], leading to an extended two-dimensional, halogen-bonded network along (-110). The cavities within this framework are filled by centrosymmetric 1,4-dioxane solvent mol-ecules, which create further bridges via C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds with terminal chlorido ligands of the trinuclear complex not involved in halogen bonding.