Issue 31, 2014

Metal-binding studies of linear rigid-axle [2]pseudorotaxanes with in situ generated anionic metal halide complexes

Abstract

A systematic study of metal–pseudorotaxane binding, using the linear N,N′-bis(4-pyridyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium axle (PyBP2+) and aromatic crown ethers bis(1,5-naphtho)-32-crown-8 (BN32C8), bis(1,5-naphtho)-38-crown-10 (BN38C10) and bis-para-phenylene-34-crown-10 (BPP34C10), is presented. The three corresponding [2]pseudorotaxanes, including the novel, fully characterized (visible absorption and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, association constant, electrochemistry, crystal structure) [PyBP/BPP34C10]2+ system, were each reacted with MX2 (M = Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+; X = Cl, Br, I). Of the twenty-seven different pseudorotaxane/MX2 combinations explored, fifteen yielded single-crystals containing a pseudorotaxane unit, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction; in eight of those crystals metal–pseudorotaxane binding was observed. The results reflect the lower association constant of [PyBP/BPP34C10]2+ (170 M−1) than the corresponding ones of [PyBP/BN32C8]2+ (870 M−1) and [PyBP/BN38C10]2+ (420 M−1) in solution, where pseudorotaxanes are in equilibrium with the corresponding free axle and wheel components. In all cases, the isolated crystals contain anionic metal halide species, such as singly charged MX3 (M = Zn, Cd; X = Cl, Br, I) or doubly charged CdX42− (X = Br, I) and Hg2X62− (X = Cl, Br, I). Ordered 3D-arrays of perfectly aligned pseudorotaxane units are found in the dichroic mercury-based crystals. Our study demonstrates that although specific intermolecular interactions (collectively called crystal packing forces), may occasionally interfere with the crystallization of metal–pseudorotaxane complexes based on pseudorotaxanes with low association constants, the use of pseudorotaxanes instead of synthetically more challenging rotaxanes is a promising approach for the construction of metal–organic rotaxane frameworks (MORFs).

Graphical abstract: Metal-binding studies of linear rigid-axle [2]pseudorotaxanes with in situ generated anionic metal halide complexes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 Apr 2014
Accepted
30 May 2014
First published
04 Jun 2014

CrystEngComm, 2014,16, 7320-7333

Metal-binding studies of linear rigid-axle [2]pseudorotaxanes with in situ generated anionic metal halide complexes

I. R. Fernando, Y. Mo and G. Mezei, CrystEngComm, 2014, 16, 7320 DOI: 10.1039/C4CE00789A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements