Kristina Konstas

Advances Towards Synthetic Machines at the Molecular and Nanoscale Level

The fabrication of increasingly smaller machines to the nanometer scale can be achieved by either a “top-down” or “bottom-up” approach. While the former is reaching its limits of resolution, the latter is showing promise for the assembly of molecular components, in a comparable approach to natural systems, to produce functioning ensembles in a controlled and predetermined manner. In this review we focus on recent progress in molecular systems that act as molecular machine prototypes such as switches, motors, vehicles and logic operators.

Adventitiously obtained rare-Earth peroxide complexes and their structural characterisation

The structures of three adventitiously obtained peroxolanthanoid complexes have been determined, namely, [Yb2(Cp)4(μ-O)2/3(μ-O2)1/3(thf)2] (1) (Cp = cyclopentadienyl; thf = tetrahydrofuran), which has disorder between the bridging oxide and peroxide, [Nd2(o-PhPhForm)4(thf)4(μ-O2)] (2) (o-PhPhForm = N,N′-bis(2-phenylphenyl)formamidinate), and [Eu4(FForm)6(μ-OH)2(μ3-O2)2(μ-diglyme)2]·2diglyme (3) (FForm = N,N′-bis(2-fluorophenyl)formamidinate, diglyme = bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether). In the first two complexes, the peroxide bridges side-on between metals, whereas in the last complex, each peroxide bridges three metals through both oxygen atoms. The first complex was a single crystal amongst a bulk sample of [Yb(Cp)2(pzPh)(thf)] (pzPh = 2-(1′-pyrazolyl)phenyl), prepared by oxidation of dicyclopentadienylytterbium(ii) by bis(2-(1′-pyrazolyl)phenyl)mercury, the structure of which was also determined and showed distorted square planar stereochemistry for mercury.

Heterometallic CeIII–FeIII–salicylate networks: models for corrosion mitigation of steel surfaces by the ′Green′ inhibitor, Ce(salicylate)3

The syntheses and structures of the novel Ce-Fe bimetallic complexes [[Fe(sal)2(bpy)]2Ce(NO3)(H2O)3].EtOH and [[Fe(sal)2(bpy)]4Ce2(H2O)11][salH]2.EtOH.3H2O (salH2 = salicylic acid) suggest Fe(3+)-sal2- units and Ce-OC(R)O-Fe bridging contribute to the formation of corrosion inhibitive layers on steel surfaces exposed to [Ce(salH)3(H2O)].