Niklas Struch

An Octanuclear Metallosupramolecular Cage Designed To Exhibit Spin-Crossover Behavior

By employing the subcomponent self-assembly approach utilizing 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin or its zinc(II) complex, 1H-4-imidazolecarbaldehyde, and either zinc(II) or iron(II) salts, we were able to prepare O-symmetric cages having a confined volume of ca. 1300 Å3 . The use of iron(II) salts yielded coordination cages in the high-spin state at room temperature, manifesting spin-crossover in solution at low temperatures, whereas corresponding zinc(II) salts led to the corresponding diamagnetic analogues. The new cages were characterized by synchrotron X-ray crystallography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and NMR, Mössbauer, IR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The cage structures and UV/Vis spectra were independently confirmed by state-of-the-art DFT calculations. A remarkably high-spin-stabilizing effect through encapsulation of C70 was observed. The spin-transition temperature T1/2 is lowered by 20 K in the host-guest complex.

Stepwise Construction of Heterobimetallic Cages by an Extended Molecular Library Approach

Two novel heterobimetallic complexes, a trigonal-bipyramidal and a cubic one, have been synthesized and characterized using the same C3-symmetric metalloligand, prepared by a simple subcomponent self-assembly strategy. Adopting the molecular library approach, we chose a mononuclear, preorganized iron(II) complex as the metalloligand capable of self-assembly into a trigonal-bipyramidal or a cubic aggregate upon coordination to cis-protected C2-symmetric palladium(II) or unprotected tetravalent palladium(II) ions, respectively. The trigonal-bipyramidal complex was characterized by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The cubic structure was characterized by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy and ESI-MS.

Electron-Deficient Pyridylimines: Versatile Building Blocks for Functional Metallosupramolecular Chemistry

Metallosupramolecular systems heavily rely on the correct choice of ligands to obtain materials with desired properties. Engaging this problem, we present three ligand systems and six of their mono- and dinuclear complexes, based on the subcomponent self-assembly approach using electron-deficient pyridylcarbaldehyde building blocks. The properties are examined in solution by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy and CV measurements as well as in solid state by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Ultimately, the choice of ligands allows for fine-tuning of the electronic properties of the metal centers, complex-to-complex transformations, as well as establishing distinct anion-π-interaction motifs.

A novel crystal structure of {tris[4-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl-κN(2))-3-azabut-3-enyl]amine-κN}iron(II) bis(tetrafluoridoborate) methanol monosolvate featuring a low-spin configuration.

Mononuclear complexes are good model systems for evaluating the effects of different ligand systems on the magnetic properties of iron(II) centres. A novel crystal structure of the title compound, [Fe(C18H24N10)](BF4)2·CH3OH, with one molecule of methanol per formula unit exhibits a strictly sixfold coordination sphere associated with a low-spin configuration at the metal centre. The incorporated methanol solvent molecule promotes extended hydrogen-bonding networks between the tetrafluoridoborate anions and the cationic units. A less constrained crystal structure regarding close contacts between the tetrafluoridoborate anions and the cationic units allows a spin transition which is inhibited in the previously published hydrate of the title compound.