Geometry-Induced Oligomerization of Fluorine-Substituted Phenylazothiazole Photoswitches.

Photoswitches are molecules that can absorb light of specific wavelengths and undergo a reversible transformation between their trans and cis isomeric forms. In phenylazo photoswitches, it is common for the less stable cis (Z) isomer to convert back to the more stable trans (E) isomer either through photochemical or thermal means. In this research, we designed new derivatives of phenylazothiazole (PAT) photoswitches, PAT-Fn, which feature fluorine substituents on their phenyl component. These derivatives can reversibly isomerize under visible light exposure with the enrichment of E and Z isomers at photostationary state (PSS). Surprisingly, we observed an unconventional phenomenon when these PAT-Fn (n≧2) photoswitches were in their cis isomeric state in the absence of light. Instead of the anticipated transformation from cis to trans isomer, these compounds converted to an oligomeric compound. Our detailed experimental investigation and theoretical calculations, indicated the crucial role of fluorine substituents and the distinctive geometric arrangement of the cis isomer in driving the unexpected oligomerization process originating from the cis isomeric state.

Phenylazothiazoles as Visible-Light Photoswitches.

A novel class of photoswitches based on a phenylazothiazole scaffold that undergoes reversible isomerization under visible-light irradiation is reported. The photoswitch, which comprises a thiazole heteroaryl segment directly connected to a phenyl azo chromophore, has very different spectral characteristics, such as a redshifted absorption maximum wavelength and well-separated absorption bands of the trans and cis isomers, than conventional azobenzene and other heteroaryl azo compounds. Substituents at the ortho and para positions of the phenyl ring of the photoswitch resulted in a further shift to longer wavelengths up to 525 nm at the absorption maximum with a small thermal stability compensation. These photoswitches showed excellent photostationary distributions of the trans and cis isomers, thermal half-lives of up to 7.2 h, and excellent reductant stability. The X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that the trans isomers exhibited a planar geometry and the cis isomers exhibited a T-shaped orthogonal geometry. Detailed ab initio calculations further demonstrated the plausible electronic transitions and isomerization energy barriers, which were consistent with the experimental observations. The fundamental design principles elucidated in this study will aid in the development of a wide variety of visible-light photoswitches for photopharmacological applications.

Selective Gas Sensing under a Mixed Gas Flow with a One-Dimensional Copper Coordination Polymer.

Structural changes of the coordination polymer associated with gas adsorption (gate opening-type adsorption) can be linked to bulk physical properties such as magnetism, electrical conductivity, and dielectric properties. To enable real-space sensing applications, it is imperative to have a system where the selective adsorption of mixed gases can be correlated with physical properties. In this report, we demonstrate that a crystalline sample of one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer exhibits selective CO2 adsorption while simultaneously displaying dielectric switching behavior in a mixed N2/CO2 gas environment. In the crystal of {[Cu2(2-TPA)4(pz)]·CH3CN}n (1·CH3CN), where 2-TPA and pz are 2-thiophencarboxylate and pyrazine, respectively, paddle wheel-type units of [Cu2(2-TPA)4] are bridged by pz, forming a 1D chain structure. One of the two crystallographically independent 2-TPA units was interacted with the pz moiety of the adjacent 1D chain by π···π interactions, forming a two-dimensional (2D) layer parallel to the ab plane. Activated 1 shows selective CO2 adsorption by a gate opening-type adsorption mechanism, indicating that the CO2 adsorption process is accompanied by a structural change. The change in the real part of dielectric permittivity (ε') under the mixed N2/CO2 gas flow is a result of the selective CO2 adsorption, which was supported by the enthalpy changes (ΔH) associated with CO2 adsorption in two methods: CO2 adsorption isotherms and temperature-dependent measurements of ε' under a mixed N2/CO2 gas flow. The calculated ΔH values were found to be in good agreement across both methods. The CO2 ratio in the mixed N2/CO2 gas flow increased, and the switching ratio of ε' (Δε') also increased. Notably, Δε' exhibited a marked increase beyond the pressure required for gate opening adsorption.

Composite with a Glassy Nonporous Coordination Polymer Enhances Gas Adsorption Selectivity.

A glass-crystal composite (g-NCP/PCP), comprising a glassy nonporous coordination polymer (g-NCP) and a crystalline porous coordination polymer (PCP)/metal-organic framework, was synthesized by using a melt-quenched method. Compared to that of the PCP itself, g-NCP/PCP has an enhanced gas adsorption selectivity. The results should stimulate further studies of the chemistry of g-NCP/PCP glass-crystal composites.

Mechanical Force Induced Formation of Extrinsic Micropores in Coordination Polymers.

Mechanical force can be employed not only to efficiently synthesize new materials under environmentally friendly conditions but also to change the macroscopic and microscopic properties of materials. Although coordination polymers (CPs) are attractive functional materials because they possess high structural designability and diversity, mechanical force-induced structural and functional changes of CPs are challenging issues. In this study, two one-dimensional CPs, one a densely packed nonporous CP [Cu2(bza)4(pyr)] (1) and the other a porous CP [Cu2(1-nap)4(pyr)] (2) (bza = benzoate, 1-nap = 1-naphthoate and pyr = pyrimidine), were subjected to ball-milling to assess the effect of mechanical force on their porosities. Ball mill treatments were found to induce an amorphization and cause a 30 fold enhancement of the CO2 adsorption amount at 195 K and P/P0 ∼ 1 for 1 and a slightly decreased CO2 adsorption amount for 2. The results of thorough characterization studies suggest that the formation of extrinsic micropores in addition to extrinsic mesopores/macropores between particles takes place by ball milling.

A Proton Conductive Porous Framework of an 18-Crown-6-Ether Derivative Networked by Rigid Hydrogen Bonding Modules.

A rigid hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) was constructed from a C3 -symmetric hexatopic carboxylic acid with a hydrophilic 18-crown-6-ether (18C6) component. Despite the flexible macrocyclic structure with many conformations, the derivative with three 4,4'-dicarboxy-o-terphenyl moieties in the periphery yielded a rigid layered porous framework through directional intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Interestingly, the HOF possesses 1D channels with bottleneck composed of 18C6 rings. The HOF shows proton conductivity (1.12×10-7  S cm-1 ) through Grotthuss mechanism (Ea =0.27 eV) under 98 %RH. The present unique water channel structure provides an inspiration to create molecular porous materials.

A Series of Bisamide-Substituted Diacetylenes Exhibiting a Terminal Alkyl Odd/Even Parity Effect on Mechanoactivated Photopolymerization.

Diacetylene derivatives exhibit solid-state polymerization to polydiacetylene initiated by UV light or γ-ray irradiation. The activation of the photopolymerization relies on the monomer diynes arrangement. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the first mechanoresponsive bisamide substituted diacetylenes (DAs) show dramatic switching from light-inert to light-reactive states at a given pressure. The origin of this unique phenomenon was apparently related to the pressure-sensitive crystalline transition in DAs, but the molecular mechanism remains elusive. To obtain more insight, herein a series of DAs with varying terminal alkyl spacer length is presented, and their molecular structural effect on the intermolecular hydrogen bonding and steric repulsion is examined. In pristine states, even-parity DAs were inactive upon UV irradiation (λ=254 nm) unless external pressure was applied. By contrast, odd-parity DAs were easily polymerized upon UV irradiation without pressure application. However, the pressure-induced crystalline phase transition exhibiting photopolymerization was valid for all DAs regardless of their alkyl spacer length. A systematic investigation revealed that the terminal alkyl spacer length, especially its odd/even parity plays a key role in determining the intrinsic intermolecular hydrogen-bonding nature of DA crystals and the resultant molecular packing. In addition, the relevant thermochromic behavior was also observed from photopolymerized polydiacetylenes.

A Temporarily Pore-Openable Porous Coordination Polymer for Guest Adsorption/Desorption.

Flexible porous coordination polymers (PCPs)/metal-organic frameworks are unique materials that have potential applications as components of highly efficient separation, sensor, and actuator systems. In general, the structures of flexible PCPs drastically change upon guest loading. In this investigation, we uncovered the rare one-dimensional PCP [Cu2(bza)4(2-apyr)] (1; bza = benzoate and 2-apyr = 2-aminopyrimidine), which exhibits a unique type of flexibility involving temporary pore opening. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that desolvated 1 and ethyl acetate (AcOEt)-loaded (1·AcOEt) and CO2-loaded (1·CO2) 1 have isolated pores. In the case of 1, the pore structure prevents guest penetration. In addition, the isolated pore structures of 1·AcOEt and 1·CO2 block guest release. However, 1 participates in reversible adsorption/desorption of AcOEt and CO2 because pore opening occurs temporarily. The CO2 adsorption/desorption isotherms of 1 are type I and dissimilar to those observed in traditional flexible PCPs with adsorption/desorption hysteresis. The lesser conventional flexibility displayed by 1 could offer new insight into the design of flexible PCPs.

Solid-State Spin Equilibrium of Ni(cyclam)2 Complex: Magnetostructural Correlations in Two Polymorphs.

Two crystal polymorphs of Ni(cyclam)I2 (cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) were synthesized, and their magnetic properties were investigated. Temperature-dependent X-ray structural analysis and magnetic measurements revealed gradual spin transition in molecular-crystal polymorph trans-[Ni(cyclam)I2] (1a), whereas the zigzag-chain polymorph catena-[Ni(cyclam)(µ-I)]I (1b) did not show an obvious spin transition. The entropy difference between high- and low-spin states of 1a estimated by assuming the spin-equilibrium model is much smaller than those in typical iron(II)-based spin-crossover (SCO) complexes, suggesting that the normal mode softening is less remarkable in 1a. In this system, it is clearly evidenced that the interaction mode responsible to the spin equilibrium in octahedral nickel(II) complexes is highly anistropic, i.e., z-elongation and x,y-shortening of the coordination octahedron.

Structural Phase Transitions of a Molecular Metal Oxide.

The structural phase of a metal oxide changes with temperature and pressure. During phase transitions, component ions move in multidimensional metal-oxygen networks. Such macroscopic structural events are robust to changes in particle size, even at scales of around 10 nm, and size effects limiting these transitions are particularly important in, for example, high-density memory applications of ferroelectrics. In this study, we examined structural transitions of the molecular metal oxide [Na@(SO3 )2 (n-BuPO3 )4 MoV 4 MoVI 14 O49 ]5- (Molecule 1) at approximately 2 nm by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The Na+ encapsulated in the discrete metal-oxide anion exhibited a reversible order-disorder transition with distortion of the Mo-O molecular framework induced by temperature. Similar order-disorder transitions were also triggered by chemical pressure induced by removing crystalline solvent molecules in the single-crystal state or by substituting the countercation to change the molecular packing.

Hydrogen-Bonded Polyrotaxane Cation Structure in Nickel Dithiolate Anion Radical Salts: Ferromagnetic and Semiconducting Behavior Associated with Structural Phase Transition.

The pseudo-polyrotaxane structure of [(H-bpy+ )- (DB-24-crown-8)]∞ (H-bpy+ = monoprotonated 4,4-bipyridinium; DB-24-crown-8 = dibenzo-24-crown-8) has been incorporated into the anion radical salt [Ni(dmit)2 ]- (dmit2- = 1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate). (H-bpy+ )(DB-24-crown-8)[Ni(dmit)2 ]- crystallized as two polymorphs, crystals 1 and 2. Crystal 1 was found to have a lower density and looser packing structure in which H-bpy+ forms a one-dimensional hydrogen-bonding chain that passes though the crown ether ring of DB-24-crown-8. DB-24-crown-8 adopts a U-shaped conformation in which two phenylene rings sandwich one of the pyridyl rings of H-bpy+ to stabilize the structure. The [Ni(dmit)2 ]- anions are arranged in a layer parallel to the (10) plane with uniform side-by-side interactions. A structural phase transition was observed at 235 K, accompanied by ordering of the polyrotaxane structure. In crystal 1, at 173 K, H-bpy+ is twisted around the central C-C bond, which perturbs the arrangement of [Ni(dmit)2 ]- through short C-H⋅⋅⋅S contacts. As a result, the semiconducting behavior, with an activation energy of 0.21 eV, becomes insulating below 235 K. The crystal exhibits ferromagnetic interactions because of the weak side-by-side interactions between [Ni(dmit)2 ]- anions. Crystal 2 has a similar pseudo-polyrotaxane structure but showed no phase transition. This suggests that the looser crystal packing in crystal 1 induces the structural change of the pseudo-polyrotaxane, perturbing the electron system of [Ni(dmit)2 ]- .

Designing Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks (HOFs) with Permanent Porosity.

Designing organic components that can be used to construct porous materials enables the preparation of tailored functionalized materials. Research into porous materials has seen a resurgence in the past decade as a result of finding of self-standing porous molecular crystals (PMCs). Particularly, a number of crystalline systems with permanent porosity that are formed by self-assembly through hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) have been developed. Such systems are called hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs). Herein we systematically describe H-bonding patterns (supramolecular synthons) and molecular structures (tectons) that have been used to achieve thermal and chemical durability, a large surface area, and functions, such as selective gas sorption and separation, which can provide design principles for constructing HOFs with permanent porosity.

Crystallization of Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskites by Optical Trapping.

Single crystals of organolead halide perovskites attract much attention to electrooptical and photovoltaic applications. They are usually prepared in precursor solutions incubated at controlled temperatures or under optimized vapor atmosphere conditions, and thus, multiple perovskite crystals are nucleated all over the solution. Multiple nucleation of crystals prevents efficient use of precursors in the preferential growth of large single crystals. An innovative approach is presented for spatiotemporally controlled, selective nucleation and growth of single crystals of lead halide perovskites by optical trapping with a focused laser beam. Upon such trapping in unsaturated precursor solutions, nucleation of MAPbX3 (MA=CH3 NH3 + ; X=Cl- , Br- , or I- ) is induced at the focal spot through increase in the concentration of perovskite precursors in the focal volume. The rate at which the nucleated crystal grows depends upon whether the perovskite absorbs the trapping laser or not. These findings suggest that optical trapping would be useful to prepare various perovskite single crystals and modify their optical and electronic properties; thereby, offering new methods for engineering of perovskite crystals.

Structural flexibilities and gas adsorption properties of one-dimensional copper(II) polymers with paddle-wheel units by modification of benzoate ligands.

CO2 and N2 gas adsorption/desorption properties of one-dimensional copper(II) polymers with paddle-wheel units [Cu(II)2(p-XBA)4(pyrazine)]∞ were successfully controlled through the tuning of interchain interactions by modification of para-substituent X groups on the benzoate (BA) ligands (X = Cl, Br, I, and OCH3). Although none of the four crystals had sufficient void space to integrate the crystallization solvents, gate-opening gas adsorption and desorption behaviors coupled with structural phase transitions were observed for CO2 (T = 195 K) and N2 (T = 77 K), with differences depending on the precise substituent. van der Waals interchain interactions, specifically π···π, halogen···π, and C-H···π contacts, were dominant in forming the crystal lattice; their magnitude was associated with gate-opening pressure and hysteresis behaviors. Both the type and magnitude of the interactions were evaluated by Hirshfeld surface analysis, which indicated that structural flexibility decreased as larger halogen atoms were included. Overall, weak interchain interaction and structural flexibility generated new void spaces to adsorb CO2 and N2 gases.

Dual-color photoluminescence modulation of zero-dimensional hybrid copper halide microcrystals.

Zero-dimensional hybrid copper(I) halides (HCHs) are attractive due to their interesting photoluminescence (PL) properties and the high abundance and low toxicity of copper. In this study, we report green-red dual emission from rhombic 1-butyl-1-methyl piperidinium copper bromide [(Bmpip)2Cu2Br4] microcrystals (MCs) prepared on borosilicate glass. The structure and elemental composition of the MCs are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Interestingly, MCs prepared on an ITO-coated glass plate show an intense green emission compared to the dual emission on a bare glass or plastic substrate. Furthermore, the intensity of the green emission from the MC is enormously increased by powdering using a conductive material, suggesting the deactivation of the red-emitting state by a charge transfer interaction with the conductor. These findings open a new strategy to suppress the self-trapping of excitons by longitudinal optical phonons and control the dual emitting states in HCHs.

Unlocking single molecule magnetism: a supramolecular strategy for isolating neutral MnIII salen-type dimer in crystalline environments.

In [Mn(5-MeOsalen)(Cl)]2(dibenzo[24]crown-8), dibenzo[24]crown-8 formed a supramolecule via multi-point interactions with the [Mn(5-MeOsalen)(Cl)] dimer. The dimer was magnetically isolated with ST = 4 and weak interdimer magnetic interactions. The crystal exhibited single-molecule magnet behaviour with an anisotropic barrier of 26(1) K, which is the highest among the Mn-salen series reported to date.

Solvent dependence of crystal structure and dielectric relaxation in ferromagnetic [MnCr(oxalate)3]- salt.

[MnCr(oxalate)3]- possesses a two-dimensional ferromagnetic network that is an ideal system for the construction of multifunctional molecular materials based on ferromagnetism. This is because additional functions, such as ferroelectricity, can be hybridised by incorporating functional cations between the layers. However, the majority of [MnCr(oxalate)3]- networks readily incorporate solvent molecules upon crystallisation, and it is sometimes difficult to measure the crystal physical properties because of the collapse associated with desolvation. Upon desolvation, the polar crystal (CBA+)([18]crown-6)[MnCr(oxalate)3]-(CH3OH) (1·CH3OH) (CBA+ = 4-carboxybutan-1-aminium) underwent a crystal-to-crystal transformation to form (CBA+)([18]crown-6)[MnCr(oxalate)3]-, 1. Furthermore, this change was accompanied by hydrogen bond reorganisation in the (CBA+)([18]crown-6) supramolecular assembly. Both crystals exhibited ferromagnetic ordering at approximately 5 K. In crystal 1, a "merry-go-round" motion of [18]crown-6 was observed, with an activation energy of 41.41 kJ mol-1, which resulted in dielectric relaxation. This crystal-to-crystal structural transformation provides a strategy for designing multifunctional hybrid materials, in which an additional function arises from molecular motion.

Fluoride-bridged dinuclear dysprosium complex showing single-molecule magnetic behavior: supramolecular approach to isolate magnetic molecules.

Using Na-encapsulated benzo[18]crown-6 (Na)(B18C6) as a counter cation, we successfully magnetically isolated a fluoride-bridging Dy dinuclear complex {[(PW11O39)Dy(H2O)2]2F} (Dy2POM) with lacunary Keggin ligands. (Na)(B18C6) formed two types of tetramers through C-H⋯O, π⋯π and C-H⋯π interactions, and each tetramer aligned in one dimension along the c-axis to form two types of channels. One channel was partially penetrated by a supramolecular cation from the ±a-axis direction, dividing the channel in the form of a "bamboo node". Dy2POM was spatially divided by this "bamboo node," which magnetically isolated one portion from the other. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility indicated a weak ferromagnetic interaction between the Dy ions bridged by fluoride. Dy2POM exhibited the magnetic relaxation characteristics of a single-molecule magnet, including the dependence of AC magnetic susceptibility on temperature and frequency. Magnetic relaxation can be described by the combination of thermally active Orbach and temperature-independent quantum tunneling processes. The application of a static magnetic field effectively suppressed the relaxation due to quantum tunneling.

Huge dielectric response and molecular motions in paddle-wheel [Cu(II)2(adamantylcarboxylate)4(DMF)2]⋠(DMF)2.

The temperature-dependent dynamic properties of [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)(DMF)(2)]⋅(DMF)(2) (1) and [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)(AcOEt)(2)] (2) crystals were examined by X-ray crystallography, (1)H NMR spectroscopy, and measurements of the dielectric constants and magnetic susceptibilities (ADCOO = adamantane carboxylate, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide, and AcOEt = ethyl acetate). In both crystals, four ADCOO groups bridged a binuclear Cu(II)-Cu(II) bond, forming a paddle-wheel [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)] structure. The oxygen atoms of two DMF molecules in crystal 1 and two AcOEt molecules in crystal 2 were coordinated at axial positions of the [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)] moiety, forming [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)(DMF)(2)] and [Cu(II)(2)(ADCOO)(4)(AcOEt)(2)], respectively. Two additional DMF molecules were included in the unit cell of crystal 1, whereas AcOEt was not included in the unit cell of crystal 2. The structural analyses of crystal 1 at 300 K showed three-fold rotation of the adamantyl groups, whereas rotation of the adamantyl groups of crystal 2 at 300 K was not observed. Thermogravimetric measurements of crystal 1 indicated a gradual elimination of DMF upon increasing the temperature above 300 K. The dynamic behavior of the crystallized DMF yielded significant temperature-dependent dielectric responses in crystal 1, which showed a huge dielectric peak at 358 K in the heating process. In contrast, only small frequency-dependent dielectric responses were observed in crystal 2 because of the freezing of the molecular rotation of the adamantyl groups. The magnetic behavior was dominated by the strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two S = 1/2 spins of the Cu(II)-Cu(II) site, with magnetic exchange energies (J) of -265 K (crystal 1) and -277 K (crystal 2).