3D helical and 2D rhomboidal supramolecules: stepwise self-assembly and dynamic transformation of terpyridine-based metallo-architectures†
Abstract
A Ru2+-connected, metallo-organic ligand (L) with three free terpyridines was designed and synthesized. L was assembled with Zn2+ to generate a helical structure; however, when mixing L with a 1,2,3-tristerpyridine ligand (T), a thermodynamically stable 2D rhombus was assembled. Furthermore, this 2D rhomboidal structure can also be achieved through the dynamic transformation of preassembled helix H with T and Zn2+ at room temperature.