Yan Z. Voloshin

A Trigonal Prismatic Mononuclear Cobalt(II) Complex Showing Single-Molecule Magnet Behavior.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) with one transition-metal ion often rely on unusual geometry as a source of magnetically anisotropic ground state. Here we report a cobalt(II) cage complex with a trigonal prism geometry showing single ion magnet behavior with very high Orbach relaxation barrier of 152 cm(-1). This, to our knowledge, is the largest reported relaxation barrier for a cobalt-based mononuclear SMM. The trigonal prismatic coordination provided by the macrocyclic ligand gives intrinsically more stable molecular species than previously reported SMMs, thus making this type of cage complexes more amendable to possible functionalization that will boost their magnetic anisotropy even further.

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.

Template synthesis, structure and unusual series of phase transitions in clathrochelate iron(II) α-dioximates and oximehydrazonates formed by capping with functionalized boron-containing agents

Abstract A series of clathrochelate α-dioximates and oximehydrazonates with apical long-chain paraffin and allyl substituents has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray analysis. For the hexadecylboronic FeNx3(BHd)2 complex (where Nx2− is the cyclohexanedion-1,2-dioxime dianion) in the temperature range 100–305 K, two structural phase transitions have been detected by X-ray diffractometry and 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy.

Macrobicyclic d-metal tris-dioximates obtained by cross-linking with p-block elements Part I. Template synthesis and properties of macrobicyclic boron-containing iron(II) dioximates

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of a number of new boron-containing macrobicyclic iron(II) complexes of the general composition FeD3(BR)2, where D2− = dioxime anion; R  OH, F, alkyl, alkoxyl, are reported. Infrared, visible, (1H, 13C, 11B) NMR and Mossbauer spectra were examined. The molecular structure of the macrobicyclic complexes was proved by Mossbauer spectroscopy data. The complexes show the geometry of a distorted trigonal prism with different distortion angles in the range 20–30°. The ‘macrocyclic’ effects manifested themselves by a decrease in IS value in Mossbauer spectra, increase in Debye temperature and molar extinction coefficient and reduction in the width of charge transfer band due to a decrease in the non-rigidity of the complex molecule.

Size matters, so does shape: Inhibition of transcription of T7 RNA polymerase by iron(II) clathrochelates.

Coordination and organoelement compounds are rarely proposed as the drug candidates despite their vast potential in the area owing to their strictly controlled geometry and rather extensive surface. This is the first example of the inhibition of transcription in the system of T7 RNA polymerase by cage metal complexes. Their IC50 values reach as low as the nanomolar range, placing them among the most potent metal-based transcription inhibitors.

Interaction of dichloride iron(II) clathrochelate with dimercaptomaleodinitrile: synthesis of the precursor monoribbed-functionalized phthalocyaninoclathrochelates and the unexpected formation of a new thiophene-containing heterocyclic system in the ribbed chelate fragment of the clathrochelate framework.

Clathrochelate iron(II) FeBd 2(S2C2(CN)2Gm)(BF)2 tris-dioximate with a ribbed vic-dinitrile fragment was synthesized as a precursor of the monoribbed-functionalized hybrid phthalocyaninoclathrochelates by nucleophilic substitution of the vic-dichloride FeBd2(Cl2Gm)(BF)2 clathrochelate (1) with the potassium salt of dimercaptomaleodinitrile. Reaction of nitromethane with this salt was followed by the condensation of the reaction products with 1 to yield the clathrochelate with an annulated previously unknown thiazinothiophene heterocyclic system in the ribbed fragment. Both complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis; MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry; IR, UV-vis, (57)Fe Mössbauer, and NMR spectroscopies; and X-ray crystallography.

First trigonal-antiprismatic tris-dichloroglyoximate iron(II) clathrochelate and its reactivity in nucleophilic substitution reactions

Tris-dichloroglyoximate clathrochelate [Fe(Cl2Gm)3(SnCl3)2]2− dianion has been synthesized by a procedure differing from those described earlier for boron-capped analogs. The co-ordinately saturated SnCl62− dianion is now used as the capping agent instead of boron-containing Lewis acids. The tris-dichloroglyoximate tin-capped product obtained is far less reactive than its boron-capped analogs, and only in the case of a thiophenolate anion was the “regular” hexafunctionalized clathrochelate obtained. The complexes synthesized have been characterized by elemental analysis, PD and MALDI-TOF mass, IR, UV-vis and 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR spectra, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography for the clathrochelate [Fe(Cl2Gm)3(SnCl3)2]2− dianion. The geometry of the functionalized complex (the distortion angle φ and main bond lengths in the clathrochelate framework) has been deduced from the quadrupole splitting value in the 57Fe Mossbauer spectrum and EXAFS data, respectively.

Transition Ion Strikes Back: Large Magnetic Susceptibility Anisotropy in Cobalt(II) Clathrochelates

Transition-metal complexes are rarely considered as paramagnetic tags for NMR spectroscopy due to them generally having relatively low magnetic anisotropy. Here we report cobalt(II) cage complexes with the largest (among the transition-metal complexes) axial anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, reaching as high as 12.6 × 10(-32) m(3) at room temperature. This remarkable anisotropy, which results from an unusual trigonal prismatic geometry of the complexes and translates into large negative value of the zero-field splitting energy, is high enough to promote reliable paramagnetic pseudocontact shifts at the distance beyond 2 nm. Our finding paves the way toward the applications of cobalt(II) clathrochelates as future paramagnetic tags. Given the incredible stability and functionalization versatility of clathrochelates, the fine-tuning of the caging ligand may lead to new chemically stable mononuclear single-molecule magnets, for which magnetic anisotropy is of importance.

Insight into the electronic structure, optical properties, and redox behavior of the hybrid phthalocyaninoclathrochelates from experimental and density functional theory approaches.

An insight into the electronic structure of several hafnium(IV), zirconium(IV), and lutetium(III) phthalocyaninoclathrochelates has been discussed on the basis of experimental UV-vis, MCD, electro- and spectroelectrochemical data as well as density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations. On the basis of UV-vis and MCD spectroscopy as well as theoretical predictions, it was concluded that the electronic structure of the phthalocyninoclathrochelates can be described in the first approximation as a superposition of the weakly interacting phthalocyanine and clathrochelate substituents. Spectroelectrochemical data and DFT calculations clearly confirm that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) in all tested complexes is localized on the phthalocyanine ligand. X-ray crystallography on zirconium(IV) and earlier reported hafnium(IV) phthalocyaninoclathrochelate complexes revealed a slightly distorted phthalocyanine conformation with seven-coordinated metal center positioned ∼1 Å above macrocyclic cavity. The geometry of the encapsulated iron(II) ion in the clathrochelate fragment was found to be between trigonal-prismatic and trigonal-antiprismatic.

THE SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF A MACROBICYCLIC HEXAHALOGENIDE TRISDIOXIMATE AS A PROMISING PRECURSOR OF FUNCTIONALIZED CLATHROCHELATES

The reactive hexachloride precursor of functionalized α-dioximate clathrochelates and the product of their reaction with thiophenol have been prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.