Euro Solari

Ligand Aspect Ratio as a Decisive Factor for the Self-Assembly of Coordination Cages

It is possible to control the geometry and the composition of metallasupramolecular assemblies via the aspect ratio of their ligands. This point is demonstrated for a series of iron- and palladium-based coordination cages. Functionalized clathrochelate complexes with variable aspect ratios were used as rod-like metalloligands. A cubic Fe(II)8L12 cage was obtained from a metalloligand with an intermediate aspect ratio. By increasing the length or by decreasing the width of the ligand, the self-assembly process resulted in the clean formation of tetrahedral Fe(II)4L6 cages instead of cubic cages. In a related fashion, it was possible to control the geometry of Pd(II)-based coordination cages. A metalloligand with a large aspect ratio gave an entropically favored tetrahedral Pd(II)4L8 assembly, whereas an octahedral Pd(II)6L12 cage was formed with a ligand of the same length but with an increased width. The aspect ratio can also be used to control the composition of dynamic mixtures of Pd(II) cages. Out of two metalloligands with only marginally different aspect ratios, one gave rise to a self-sorted collection of Pd(II)4L8 and Pd(II)6L12 cages, whereas the other did not.

Covalent Capture of Nitrous Oxide by N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

A good catch: N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) form stable adducts with nitrous oxide (N2O) under mild reaction conditions. The adducts display unique reactivity as evidenced by an alkylation reaction which leads to a rupture of the NN bond.

Room-temperature combinatorial screening of cyclometallated iridium(III) complexes for a step towards molecular control of colour purity

A library of emission spectra of 90 bis-cyclometallated iridium complexes has been obtained using a simple combinatorial approach performed at room temperature. Trends in emission maxima are rationalized using Hammett parameters and invoking inter ligand energy transfer (ILET) processes. The screening approach allowed us to observe trends in the broadness of emission spectra opening the way for a rational approach to the engineering of the emission colour purity at a molecular level. Finally limitations to the screening strategy are discussed using a case study that involves two different monodentate ligands.

Adducts of Nitrous Oxide and N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Syntheses, Structures, and Reactivity

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) react at ambient conditions with nitrous oxide to give covalent adducts. In the crystal, all compounds show a bent N2O group connected via the N-atom to the former carbene carbon atom. Most adducts are stable at room temperature, but heating induces decomposition into the corresponding ureas. Kinetic experiments show that the thermal stability of the NHC-N2O adducts depends on steric as well as electronic effects. The coordination of N2O to NHCs weakens the N-N bond substantially, and facile N-N bond rupture was observed in reactions with acid or acetyl chloride. On the other hand, reaction with tritylium tetrafluoroborate resulted in a covalent modification of the terminal O-atom, and cleavage of the C-N2O bond was observed in a reaction with thionyl chloride. The coordination chemistry of IMes-N2O (IMes = 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene) was explored in reactions with the complexes CuOTf, Fe(OTf)2, PhSnCl3, CuCl2, and Zn(C6F5)2. Structural analyses show that IMes-N2O is able to act as a N-donor, as an O-donor, or as a chelating N,O-donor. The different coordination modes go along with pronounced electronic changes as evidenced by a bond length analysis.

Multicomponent Assembly of Macrocycles and Polymers by Coordination of Pyridyl Ligands to 1,4-Bis(benzodioxaborole)benzene

Multicomponent reactions between 1,4-benzenediboronic acid, catechol, and different pyridyl ligands are reported. The condensation of 1,4-benzenediboronic acid with catechol gives 1,4-bis(benzodioxaborole)benzene. Upon crystallization, the ester aggregates with the N-donor ligands through dative B-N bonds. Depending on the nature of the pyridyl ligand, molecularly defined macrocycles or polymeric structures are obtained. 1D polymers are formed with 4,4-bipyridine and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, whereas a 2D network is obtained with the tetradentate ligand tetra(4-pyridylphenyl)ethylene. These results highlight the utility of dative B-N bonds in structural supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering.

Titanium-carbon functionalities on an oxo surface defined by a calix [4] arene moiety and its redox chemistry

Abstract Lithiation of [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe) 2 (OH) 2 ] ( 1 ), followed by reaction with TiCl 3 (thf) 3 or TiCl 4 (thf) 2 , led to the corresponding titanium-calix[4]arene complexes [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe) 2 (O) 2 ]TiCl] ( 2 ) and [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe) 2 (O) 2 ]TiCl 2 ] ( 3 ), respectively. Reaction of 1 with TiCl 4 (thf) 2 results in demethylation of the calix[4]arene and the obtention of [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe) 2 (O) 3 ]TiCl] ( 4 ), whose hydrolysis led to [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe)(OH) 3 ] ( 6 ). The preparation of 6 can be carried out as a one-pot synthesis. Both 2 and 4 undergo alkylation reactions using conventional procedures, thus forming surprisingly stable organometallic species, namely [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe) 2 (O) 2 Ti(R)] (R = Me ( 7 ); CH 2 Ph ( 8 ), p -MeC 6 H 4 ( 9 ) and [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe)(O) 3 Ti(R)] (R = Me ( 10 ); CH 2 Ph ( 11 ); p -MeC 6 H 4 ( 12 )). Complexes 7 and 9 undergo a thermal oxidative conversion into 10 and 12 , occurring with the demethylation of one of the methoxy groups. A solid state structural property of 9 and 12 has been revealed by X-ray analysis showing a self-assembly of the monomeric units into a columnar polymer, where the p -tolyl substituent at the metal functions as a guest group for an adjacent titanium-calixarene. Reductive alkylation of 3 with Mg(CH 2 Ph) 2 gave 8 instead of forming the corresponding dialkyl derivative. Two synthetic routes have been devised for the synthesis of the Ti(III)-Ti(III) dimer [ p -Bu t -calix[4]-(OMe)(O) 3 Ti] 2 ] ( 13 ): the reduction of 4 and the reaction of TiCl 3 (thf) 3 with the lithiated form of 6 . A very strong antiferromagnetic coupling is responsible for the peculiar magnetic behavior of 13 . The proposed structures have been supported by the X-ray analyses of 4, 9, 12 and 13 .

Alkali and Alkaline‐Earth‐Metalated Forms of Calix[4]arenes: Synthons in the Synthesis of Transition Metal Complexes

This is the first coherent report on the metalation of calix[4]arene by alkali and alkaline-earth metals, thus providing a high-yield production of appropriate synthons for the synthesis of transition metal calix[4]arenes. In addition, various facets of the coordination chemistry by calix[4]arene anions of alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions have been singled out. Among them: 1) the exo and endo coordination of metal ions by the calix[4]arene skeleton; 2) the pi solvation of the ions by the phenyl rings; 3) the ion-carrier properties of metallacalix[4]arenes; 4) the simulation of the kinetically labile coordination sphere of alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions by a polyoxo rigid skeleton. The peculiarities of the complexation of alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions by calix[4]arenes outlined are deduced from the synthesis and the structural characterization both in solution ((1)H NMR) and in the solid state (X-ray structure analysis) of the following classes of compounds: 1) [p-tBu-calix[4](OMS(n))(4)](2) (M=Li, Na, K); 2) [p-tBu-calix[4](OR)(2)(O)(2)ML] (M=Mg, L=THF, R=C(5)H(9); M=Ca, L=TMEDA (tetramethylethylenediamine), R=C(5)H(9); M=Ca, L=DME (dimethoxyethane), R=C(5)H(9); M=Ba, L=TMEDA, R=C(5)H(9); M=Ba, L=none, R=C(5)H(9)); 3) [p-tBu-calix[4](OC(5)H(9))(2)(O)(2)Ca(2)I(2)(MeCN)(2)]; 4) [(p-tBu-calix[4](OR)(2)(O)(2))(2)BaNa(2)].

Sequential N–O and N–N Bond Cleavage of N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Activated Nitrous Oxide with a Vanadium Complex

Chemically induced bond cleavage of nitrous oxide typically proceeds by rupture of the N-O bond with concomitant O-atom transfer and liberation of dinitrogen. On a few occasions, N-N bond scission has been observed instead. We report a reaction sequence involving an N-heterocyclic carbene and a vanadium complex that results in cleavage of both the N-O bond and the N-N bond.

PORPHOMETHENES AND PORPHODIMETHENES SYNTHESIZED BY THE TWO- AND FOUR-ELECTRON OXIDATION OF THE MESO-OCTAETHYLPORPHYRINOGEN

Stepwise dealkylation of meso-octaethylporphyrinogen 1 yields porphomethene 2 and porphodimethene 3, providing access to large quantities of these valuable intermediates. The synthetic sequence relies on SnCl4⋅2 THF, Li, and H2O; the extent of dealkylation depends on the amount of SnCl4⋅2 THF employed.

cis- and trans-Dichloro-derivatives of six- and seven-co-ordinate zirconium and hafnium bonded to quadridentate Schiff-base ligands. Crystal structures of [Zr(acen)Cl2(thf)], [M(salphen)Cl2(thf)]·0.5thf, [M(acen)Cl2], (M = Zr or Hf), and [Zr(msal)Cl2][acen =N,N′-ethylenebis(acetylacetoneiminate), salphen =N,N′-o-phenylenebis(salicylideneiminate), msal =N-methylsalicylideneiminate, and thf = tetrahydrofuran]

The reaction of MCl4·2thf (thf = tetrahydrofuran) with the sodium salt of quadridentate Schiff bases [L =N,N′-ethylenebis(acetylacetoneiminate)(acen), N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylideneiminate)(salen), N,N′-ethylenebis(α-methylsalicylideneiminate)(dmsalen), or N,N′-o-phenylenebis(salicylideneiminate)(salphen)] yields the complexes [MLCl2(thf)]. X-Ray analyses showed for all of them that the metal ion is seven-co-ordinate with a pseudo-pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. Details of the structures of [Zr(acen)Cl2(thf)](5), [Zr(salphen)Cl2(thf)]·0.5thf (10), and of the corresponding isostructural hafnium complex [Hf(salphen) Cl2(thf)]·0.5thf (11) are reported. The equatorial plane of the bipyramid is defined by the N2O2 donor atoms and by the oxygen atom from thf, while the two chlorine atoms are trans to each other [Cl–Zr–Cl 169.1 (1), (5); 165.2(1), (10); Cl–Hf–Cl 166.3(1)°, (11)]. Recrystallization of the seven-co-ordinate complexes from toluene removed the thf leading to six-co-ordinate complexes. The structural determination of the isostructural [Zr(acen)Cl2](12) and [Hf(acen)Cl2](13) showed the six-co-ordination of the metal with the two chlorines assuming a cis arrangement [Cl–Zr–Cl 87.2(1), (12); Cl–Hf–Cl 87.4(1)°, (13)]. Bond lengths within the co-ordination sphere are significantly shorter in the six-co-ordinate complexes. The cis and trans isomers do not interconvert in solutions of non-co-ordinating solvents, i.e. C6H6 or CH2Cl2, as shown by their distinctive 1H n.m.r. spectra. In the absence of geometrical constraints zirconium(IV) prefers six-co-ordination and a cis arrangement of the chloride ligands. This was confirmed by synthesizing [Zr(msal)2Cl2](15)(msal =N-methylsalicylideneiminate), [Cl–Zr–Cl 97.9(1)°] containing a bidentate Schiff-base ligand. Its crystallization from thf gave the unsolvated six-co-ordinated form. Crystallographic details: complex (5), space group P, a= 8.401 (1), b= 15.987 (2), c= 7.805(1)A, α= 98.41 (1), β= 90.32(1), γ= 76.65(1)°, Z= 2, and R 0.042 for 3 713 observed reflections; (10), space group P, a= 12.759(2), b= 13.332(2), c= 7.587(1)A, α= 91.60(2), β= 98.45(1), γ= 85.30(1)°, Z= 2, and R 0.033 for 3 813 observed reflections; (11), space group P, a= 12.737(7), b= 13.269(7), c= 7.564(4)A, α= 91.48(1), β= 98.56(1), γ= 85.26(1)°Z= 2, and R 0.027 for 4 227 observed reflections; (12), space group P21/n, a= 24.150(5), b= 9.160(2), c= 7.282(1)A, β= 90.90(1)°, Z= 4, and R 0.034 for 1 894 observed reflections; (13), space group P21/n, a= 24.096(10), b= 9.161 (4), c= 7.262(3)A, β= 90.87(1)°, Z= 4, and R 0.024 for 2 124 observed reflections; (15), space group P, a= 13.024(3), b= 14.522(3), c= 9.797(2)A, α= 90.10(1), β= 93.14(1), γ= 96.09(1)°, Z= 4, and R 0.044 for 3 294 observed reflections.