Ruaraidh D. McIntosh

Calix[4]arene-supported Fe(2)(III)Ln(2)(III) clusters

A series of Fe(III)(2)Ln(III)(2) clusters have been synthesised under facile bench top conditions. The resulting clusters pack in a manner akin to the calixarene solvate, and represent an important entry point to this new type of 3d-4f system.

A Family of Calix{[}4]arene-Supported {[}(Mn2Mn2II)-Mn-III] Clusters

In the cone conformation calix[4]arenes possess lower-rim polyphenolic pockets that are ideal for the complexation of various transition-metal centres. Reaction of these molecules with manganese salts in the presence of an appropriate base (and in some cases co-ligand) results in the formation of a family of calixarene-supported [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)] clusters that behave as single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Variation in the alkyl groups present at the upper-rim of the cone allows for the expression of a degree of control over the self-assembly of these SMM building blocks, whilst retaining the general magnetic properties. The presence of various different ligands around the periphery of the magnetic core has some effect over the extended self-assembly of these SMMs.

Influence of the Metal (Al, Cr, and Co) and Substituents of the Porphyrin in Controlling Reactions Involved in Copolymerization of Propylene Oxide and Carbon Dioxide by Porphyrin Metal(III) Complexes. 3. Cobalt Chemistry

A series of cobalt(III) complexes LCoX, where L = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP), 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TFPP), and 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyirn (OEP) and X = Cl or acetate, has been investigated for homopolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and copolymerization of PO and CO2 to yield polypropylene oxide (PPO) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) or propylene carbonate (PC), respectively. These reactions were carried out both with and without the presence of a cocatalyst, namely, 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) or PPN(+)Cl(-) (bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride). The PO/CO2 copolymerization process is notably faster than PO homopolymerization. With ionic PPN(+)Cl(-) cocatalyst the TPPCoOAc catalyst system grows two chains per Co center and the presence of excess [Cl(-)] facilitates formation of PC by two different backbiting mechanisms during copolymerization. Formation of PPC is dependent on both [Cl(-)] and the CO2 pressure employed (1-50 bar). TPPCoCl and PO react to form TPPCo(II) and ClCH2CH(Me)OH, while with DMAP, TPPCoCl yields TPPCo(DMAP)2(+)Cl(-). The reactions and their polymers and other products have been monitored by various methods including react-IR, FT-IR, GPC, ESI, MALDI TOF, EXAFS, and NMR ((1)H, (13)C{(1)H}) spectroscopy. Notable differences are seen in these reactions with previous studies of (porphyrin)M(III) complexes (M = Al, Cr) and of the (salen)M(III) complexes where M = Cr, Co.

Synthesis and Characterization of Iron(II) and Ruthenium(II) Hydrido Hydrazine Complexes

Treatment of trans-[MHCl(dmpe)(2)] (M = Fe, Ru) with hydrazine afforded the hydrido hydrazine complexes cis- and trans-[MH(N(2)H(4))(dmpe)(2)](+) which have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (31)P, and (15)N). Both cis and trans isomers of the Fe complex and the trans isomer of the Ru complex were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Reactions with acid and base afforded a range of N(2)H(x) complexes, including several unstable hydrido hydrazido complexes.

Calixarene-supported clusters: employment of complementary cluster ligands for the construction of a ferromagnetic [Mn5] cage

A combination of complementary cluster ligands results in the formation of a new calixarene-supported ferromagnetic [Mn(5)] cage that displays the characteristic bonding modes of each support.

Calix[4]arene supported clusters: a dimer of [MnIIIMnII] dimers

Phosphinate ligands allow for the transformation of a calix[4]arene supported [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)] tetramer cluster motif into an unusual [Mn(III)Mn(II)](2) dimer of dimers; the clusters self-assemble in the crystal to form bi-layer arrays reminiscent of the typical packing of calixarene solvates.

p-tert-Butylcalix(8)arene: An extremely versatile platform for cluster formation**

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene is a bowl-shaped molecule capable of forming a range of polynuclear metal clusters under different experimental conditions. p-tert-Butylcalix[8]arene (TBC[8]) is a significantly more flexible analogue that has previously been shown to form mono- and binuclear lanthanide (Ln) metal complexes. The latter (cluster) motif is commonly observed and involves the calixarene adopting a near double-cone conformation, features of which suggested that it may be exploited as a type of assembly node in the formation of larger polynuclear lanthanide clusters. Variation in the experimental conditions employed for this system provides access to Ln(1), Ln(2), Ln(4), Ln(5), Ln(6), Ln(7) and Ln(8) complexes, with all polymetallic clusters containing the common binuclear lanthanide fragment. Closer inspection of the structures of the polymetallic clusters reveals that all but one (Ln(8)) are in fact based on metal octahedra or the building blocks of octahedra, with the identity and size of the final product dependent upon the basicity of the solution and the deprotonation level of the TBC[8] ligand. This demonstrates both the versatility of the ligand towards incorporation of additional metal centres, and the associated implications for tailoring the magnetic properties of the resulting assemblies in which lanthanide centres may be interchanged.

Oxacalix[3]arene-supported supertetrahedron.

The initial use of oxacalix[3]arene in manganese chemistry affords an unusual [Mn(10)] supertetrahedron with an even more unusual oxidation state distribution.

Supraicosahedral (metalla)carboranes

Although supraicosahedral (hetero) boranes have long been of interest to theoreticians, the area is under-developed from a synthetic viewpoint. The synthesis of supraicosahedral carboranes by reduction then capitation (RedCap) of C2B10 species is attractive, but unsuccessful as long as the cage carbon atoms are free to separate in the reduction step. Studies on 4,1,6-MC2B10 13-vertex metallacarboranes have shown that the partial degradation of such species can be a facile process, in spite of the fact that the binding energy of the metal atom to the carborane framework can be at least as high as that of a {BH}fragment. These findings support the general concept of the kinetic instability of 1,6-C2B11 species, explaining why a supraicosahedral carborane could not be made from 1,2-C2B10H12. However, tethering together the two cage C atoms with a C6H4(CH2)2 strap ultimately allowed the synthesis of the first supraicosahedral carborane. This species has a henicosahedral geometry, and there is evidence that a facile rearrangement from kinetic to thermodynamic isomer has occurred. The RedCap synthesis of this unprecedented cluster has the potential to be applied successively, yielding 14-,15-,16-, etc. vertex carboranes, the larger of which may be sufficiently kinetically stable to exist without a C,C tether.

Calixarene-supported rare-earth clusters: heteroatom bridge influences cluster composition

Rare-earth octahedra have been previously synthesised using p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene as a cluster support. Introduction of a heteroatom bridge in the calixarene framework, with concomitant alteration to the nature of the metal binding pocket, influences lanthanide composition in the cluster.