Fresh Impetus in the Chemistry of Calcium Peroxides.

Redox-inactive metal ions are essential in modulating the reactivity of various oxygen-containing metal complexes and metalloenzymes, including photosystem II (PSII). The heart of this unique membrane-protein complex comprises the Mn4CaO5 cluster, in which the Ca2+ ion acts as a critical cofactor in the splitting of water in PSII. However, there is still a lack of studies involving Ca-based reactive oxygen species (ROS) systems, and the exact nature of the interaction between the Ca2+ center and ROS in PSII still generates intense debate. Here, harnessing a novel Ca-TEMPO complex supported by the ß-diketiminate ligand to control the activation of O2, we report the isolation and structural characterization of hitherto elusive Ca peroxides, a homometallic Ca hydroperoxide and a heterometallic Ca/K peroxide. Our studies indicate that the presence of K+ cations is a key factor controlling the outcome of the oxygenation reaction of the model Ca-TEMPO complex. Combining experimental observations with computational investigations, we also propose a mechanistic rationalization for the reaction outcomes. The designed approach demonstrates metal-TEMPO complexes as a versatile platform for O2 activation and advances the understanding of Ca/ROS systems.

Synthesis, polymorphism, and shape complementarity-induced co-crystallization of hexanuclear Co(II) clusters capped by a flexible heteroligand shell.

Polymorphism and co-crystallization have gradually gained attention as new tools in the development of modern crystalline functional materials. However, the study on the selective self-assembly of metal clusters into multicomponent crystals is still in its infancy. Herein, we present the synthesis and characterization of two new heteroleptic hydroxido-acetato and acetato Co(II) clusters [Co6(OH)2(OAc)4(pyret)6] (1) and [Co6(OAc)6(pyret)6] (2) incorporating auxiliary 2-pyrrolidinoethoxylate (pyret) ligands. On this occasion, we revealed that the commonly used thermal procedure for dehydration of cobalt(II) acetate leads to a reagent comprising substantial contamination by cobalt hydroxido moieties. Comprehensive structural analysis of new compounds demonstrated intriguing crystal structure diversity of hydroxido-acetato cluster 1, which represents a rare example of both conformational and packing polymorphism in one compound, originating from the flexibility of organic O,N-ligands in the secondary coordination sphere. Furthermore, both clusters exhibit an interesting propensity for the selective formation of co-crystals 1·2 driven mainly by van der Waals forces and specific shape complementarity between co-formers.

Non-redox reactivity of V(II) and Fe(II) formamidinates towards CO2 resulting in the formation of novel M(II) carbamates.

Chemical fixation of CO2 is a powerful tool for the preparation of novel multinuclear metal complexes and functional materials. Particularly, the insertion of CO2 into a metal-X bond (X = H, C, N, O) often is a key elementary step in the various processes transforming this greenhouse gas into valuable products. Herein, we report on the reactivity between CO2 and V(II) and Fe(II) complexes supported by N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinate ligands (DippF). The reactions proceeded with multiple insertions of CO2 into the M-N bonds leading to the isolation of three novel complexes: [(κ2-DippFCO2)(THF)V(µ-DippFCO2)3V(THF)], [(κ2-DippFCO2)Fe(µ-DippFCO2)2(µ-DippF)Fe(THF)] and [(κ2-DippFCO2)Fe(µ-DippFCO2)3Fe(κ1-DippFH)], which were characterised using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FTIR and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy (for the diiron compounds). We provide the first well-documented studies of the CO2 reactivity towards the V-N bond and broaden the state-of-the-art of the undeveloped area of the reactivity of low-valent V(II) complexes. Moreover, we showed that the effectivity of the examined CO2 insertion processes strongly depends on the used solvent's characteristics (for the Fe(II) system) and the metal centre's coordination sphere geometry (for the V(II) system).

Tetrahedral M4(µ4-O) Motifs Beyond Zn: Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of Oxido-Amidate Clusters via a Transmetalation/Hydrolysis Approach.

While zinc µ4-oxido-centered complexes are widely used as versatile precursors and building units of functional materials, the synthesis of their analogues based on other transition metals is highly underdeveloped. Herein, we present the first efficient systematic approach for the synthesis of homometallic [M4(µ4-O)L6]-type clusters incorporating divalent transition-metal centers, coated by bridging monoanionic organic ligands. As a proof of concept, we prepared a series of charge-neutral metal-oxido benzamidates, [M4(µ4-O) (NHCOPh)6] (M = Fe, Co, Zn), including iron(II) and cobalt(II) clusters not accessible before. The resulting complexes were characterized using elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Detailed structural analysis showed interesting self-assembly of the tetrahedral clusters into 2D honeycomb-like supramolecular layers driven by hydrogen bonds in the proximal secondary coordination sphere. Moreover, we modeled the magnetic properties of new iron (II) and cobalt (II) clusters, which display a general tendency for antiferromagnetic coupling of the µ4-O/µ-benzamidate-bridged metal centers. The developed synthetic procedure is potentially easily extensible to other M(II)-oxido systems, which will likely pave the way to new oxido clusters with interesting optoelectronic and self-assembly properties and, as a result, will allow for the development of new functional materials not achievable before.

A New Look at Molecular and Electronic Structure of Homoleptic Diiron(II,II) Complexes with N,N-Bidentate Ligands: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study.

Paddlewheel-type binuclear complexes featuring metal-metal bonding have been the subject of widespread interest due to fundamental concern in their electronic structures and potential applications. Here, we explore the molecular and electronic structures of diiron(II,II) complexes with N,N'-diarylformamidinate ligands. While a paddlewheel-type diiron(II,II) complex with N,N'-diphenylformamidinate ligands (DPhF) exhibits the centrosymmetric [Fe2 (µ-DPhF)4 ] structure, a minor alteration in the ligand system, i. e., switching from phenyl to p-tolyl N-substituted formamidinate ligand (DTolF), resulted in the isolation of an unprecedented non-centrosymmetric [Fe(µ-DTolF)3 Fe(κ2 -DTolF)] complex. Both complexes were characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic measurements, 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry along with high-level ab-initio calculations. The results provide a new view on a range of factors controlling the ground-state electronic configuration and structural diversity of homoleptic diiron(II,II) complexes. Model calculations determined that the Mayer bond orders for Fe-Fe interactions are significantly lower than 1 and equal to 0.15 and 0.28 for [Fe2 (µ-DPhF)4 ] and [Fe(µ-DTolF)3 Fe(κ2 -DTolF)], respectively.

Cyclodextrin-Templated Co(II) Grids: Symmetry Control over Supramolecular Topology and Magnetic Properties.

While inherent complexation properties and propensity for self-organization of cyclodextrins (CDs) render them potentially promising scaffolds of magnetic materials, this research area is still at an embryonic stage. We report on the synthesis and structure characterization of a new sandwich-type complex, [(α-CD)2Co3Li6(H2O)9] (α-1), which represents a smaller analogue of the previously characterized [(γ-CD)2Co4Li8(H2O)12] (γ-1) cluster. A comprehensive structural analysis of α-1 and a careful reinvestigation of γ-1 reveal how the symmetry of CD ligands determines the molecular composition and supramolecular arrangements of Co/Li sandwich-type complexes. Furthermore, the first comparative studies of the magnetic properties in this type of system point to subtle differences in the magnetic behavior of both compounds. The sandwich-type complexes α-1 and γ-1 exhibit field-induced slow magnetic relaxation, defining a new family of magnetic materials with a pillared grid-like supramolecular structure composed of weakly interacting CoII centers forming an SMM.

Synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of a novel high-nuclearity oxo-carboxylate [ZnxCo13-x(µ4-O)4(O2CPh)18] cluster.

The charge-neutral bimetallic Zn(ii)/Co(ii) tridecanuclear oxocarboxylate cluster [ZnxCo13-x(µ4-O)4(O2CPh)18] (x≈ 5.6) was synthesized under anaerobic conditions by the controlled hydrolysis of an alkylzinc carboxylate [EtZn(O2CPh)] in the presence of cobalt(ii) benzoate Co(O2CPh)2. The composition and molecular structure of the resulting aggregates were solved by a combination of elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Straightforward Synthesis of Single-Crystalline and Redox-Active Cr(II)-carboxylate MOFs.

We report on a facile and environmentally friendly synthetic approach for single-crystalline chromium(II) carboxylate metal-organic frameworks (i.e., Cr3(BTC)2·3H2O (1) and Cr(hfipbb)·H2O (2) at room temperature in water. Both MOFs can be easily dehydrated, affording single-crystalline materials with open Cr(II) sites. In addition, the redox activity and porosity of the resulting Cr(II) MOFs were examined.

Interactions of Native Cyclodextrins with Metal Ions and Inorganic Nanoparticles: Fertile Landscape for Chemistry and Materials Science.

Readily available cyclodextrins (CDs) with an inherent hydrophobic internal cavity and hydrophilic external surface are macrocyclic entities that display a combination of molecular recognition and complexation properties with vital implications for host-guest supramolecular chemistry. While the host-guest chemistry of CDs has been widely recognized and led to their exploitation in a variety of important functions over the last five decades, these naturally occurring macrocyclic systems have emerged only recently as promising macrocyclic molecules to fabricate environmentally benign functional nanomaterials. This review surveys the development in the field paying special attention to the synthesis and emerging uses of various unmodified CD-metal complexes and CD-inorganic nanoparticle systems and identifies possible future directions. The association of a hydrophobic cavity of CDs with metal ions or various inorganic nanoparticles is a very appealing strategy for controlling the inorganic subunits properties in the very competitive water environment. In this review we provide the most prominent examples of unmodified CDs' inclusion complexes with organometallic guests and update the research in this field from the past decade. We discuss also the coordination flexibility of native CDs to metal ions in CD-based metal complexes and summarize the progress in the synthesis and characterization of CD-metal complexes and their use in catalysis and sensing as well as construction of molecular magnets. Then we provide a comprehensive overview of emerging applications of native CDs in materials science and nanotechnology. Remarkably, in the past few years CDs have appeared as attractive building units for the synthesis of carbohydrate metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) in a combination of alkali-metal cations. The preparation of this new class of highly porous materials and their applications in the separation of small molecules, the loading of drug molecules, as well as efficient host templates in the construction of nanomaterials with the desired functionality, including the first-in-class devices including sensors and memristors, are highlighted. Finally, CDs as well-known "green" molecular hosts have also been used as ideal functional molecules to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of inorganic nanoparticles. In this regard, we demonstrate various strategies for the preparation of native CDs-modified inorganic nanomaterials such as metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor and magnetic nanoparticles, aiming to take advantage of both the controlled properties of the inorganic core and the controlled properties of the coating molecules. The functionalization of a CD hydrophobic cavity with an inorganic nanoparticle is very prospective for the development of novel catalytic systems and new tools for highly selective and sensitive sensing platforms for various targets.

Unprecedented Variety of Outcomes in the Oxygenation of Dinuclear Alkylzinc Derivatives of an N,N-Coupled Bis(ß-diketimine).

Reactions between O2 and organometallics with non-redox-active metal centers have received continuous interest for over 150 years, although significant uncertainties concerning the character and details of the actual mechanism of these reactions persist. Harnessing dinuclear three-coordinate alkylzinc derivatives of an N,N-coupled bis(ß-diketimine) proligand (LH2 ) as a model system, we demonstrate for the first time that a slight modification of the reaction conditions might have a dramatic influence on the oxygenation reaction outcomes, leading to an unprecedented variety of products originating from a single reaction system, that is, partially and fully oxygenated zinc alkoxides, zinc alkylperoxides, and zinc hydroxide compounds. Our studies indicate that accessibility of the three-coordinate zinc center by the O2 molecule, coupled with the lower reactivity of Zn-Me vs. Zn-Et units towards dioxygen, are key factors in the oxygenation process, providing a novel tetranuclear methyl(methoxy)zinc {[L][ZnMe][Zn(µ-OMe]}2 and zinc ethoxide {[L][Zn(µ-OEt)]2 }2 . Remarkably, oxygenation of three-coordinate alkylzinc [L][ZnR]2 complexes at ambient temperature afforded a unique hydroxide {[L][Zn(µ-OH)]2 }2 . Oxygenation of the [L][ZnEt]2 complex in the presence of 4-methylpyridine (py-Me) at low temperature led to the isolation of a dinuclear zinc ethylperoxide [L][Zn(OOEt)(py-Me)]2 , which nicely substantiates the intermediacy of an unstable zinc alkylperoxide in the formation of the subsequent zinc alkoxide and hydroxide compounds. Finally, our investigations provide compelling evidence that a non-redox-active metal center plays a crucial role in the oxygenation process through assisting in single-electron transfer from an M-C bond to an O2 molecule. Although the oxygenation of zinc alkyls occurs by radical pathways, the reported results stand in clear contradiction to the widely accepted free-radical chain mechanism.

Applying Mechanochemistry for Bottom-Up Synthesis and Host-Guest Surface Modification of Semiconducting Nanocrystals: A Case of Water-Soluble ß-Cyclodextrin-Coated Zinc Oxide.

Mechanochemistry has recently emerged as an environmentally friendly solventless synthesis method enabling a variety of transformations including those impracticable in solution. However, its application in the synthesis of well-defined nanomaterials remains very limited. Here, we report a new bottom-up mechanochemical strategy to rapid mild-conditions synthesis of organic ligand-coated ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) and their further host-guest modification with ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) leading to water-soluble amide-ß-CD-coated ZnO NCs. The transformations can be achieved by either one-pot sequential or one-step three-component process. The developed bottom-up methodology is based on employing oxo-zinc benzamidate, [Zn4 (µ4 -O)(NHOCPh)6 ], as a predesigned molecular precursor undergoing mild solid-state transformation to ZnO NCs in the presence of water in a rapid, clean and sustainable process.

Supramolecular control over molecular magnetic materials: γ-cyclodextrin-templated grid of cobalt(II) single-ion magnets.

Single-ion magnets (SIMs) are potential building blocks of novel quantum computing devices. Unique magnetic properties of SIMs require effective separation of magnetic ions and can be tuned by even slight changes in their coordination sphere geometry. We show that an additional level of tailorability in the design of SIMs can be achieved by organizing magnetic ions into supramolecular architectures, resulting in gaining control over magnetic ion packing. Here, γ-cyclodextrin was used to template magnetic Co(II) and nonmagnetic auxiliary Li(+) ions to form a heterometallic {Co, Li, Li}4 ring. In the sandwich-type complex [(γ-CD)2Co4Li8(H2O)12] spatially separated Co(II) ions are prevented from superexchange magnetic coupling. Ac/dc magnetic and EPR studies demonstrated that individual Co(II) ions with positive zero-field splitting exhibit field-induced slow magnetic relaxation consistent with the SIMs' behavior, which is exceptional in complexes with easy-plane magnetic anisotropy.

Efficient synthesis of manganese(II) carboxylates: from a trinuclear cluster [Mn3(PhCO2)6(THF)4] to a unique [Mn(PhCO2)2]n chiral 3D network.

An efficient synthetic procedure for obtaining manganese carboxylates including a trinuclear cluster [Mn3(PhCO2)6(THF)4]2 and a unique [Mn(PhCO2)2]n chiral 3D network is reported. The procedure involves a simple redox process, in which acidic protons are reduced to gaseous hydrogen by oxidizing metallic manganese under solvothermal conditions.

New insights into cinchonine-aluminium complexes and their application as chiral building blocks: unprecedented ligand-exchange processes in the presence of ZnR2 compounds.

Previous studies have demonstrated that [(CN)(2)AlCl] and [R(2)Al(µ-CN)](2) (CN=deprotonated cinchonine) complexes can effectively act as chiral, semirigid, N,N-ditopic metalloligands for Zn-containing nodes, and provide viable means for constructing new, homochiral, heterometallic, coordination polymers of zigzag and helical topologies. These findings have prompted further investigations on the organometallic analogues of the formula [(CN)(2)AlR], anticipating their utility as N,N-metalloligands for ZnR(2) units. Surprisingly, reactions of [(CN)(2)AlMe]-type metalloligands with ZnR(2) compounds (R=Me or Et) revealed unprecedented ligand-exchange processes, including zinc-to-aluminium and aluminium-to-zinc transmetalations of alkyl groups. The molecular and crystal structure of the resulting compounds was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. From the reaction of [(CN)(2)AlMe] with ZnMe(2) a new pseudopolymorphic form of a noncovalent porous material based on [Me(2)Al(µ-CN)](2) molecules was isolated. Strikingly, the analogous reaction involving ZnEt(2) led to the generation of a new chiral 4N-tetratopic heterometalloligand [(CN)EtAl(µ-CN)(2)ZnEt]. The latter unit was successfully connected by alkyl-exchanged ZnMe(2) nodes to give an original homochiral heterometallic {[(CN)EtAl(µ-CN)(2)ZnEt]ZnMe(2)}(n) coordination polymer adopting a snake 1D motif. The outcome of the revealed reactions indicates the complicated multistep reaction route that involves redistribution of cinchonine and alkyl ligands among the Al and Zn centers, and a general reaction scheme is proposed. The results are in strong contrast with the previously studied inorganic-organic [(CN)(2)AlCl/ZnCl(2)] system, which exclusively affords a helical coordination polymer based on ZnCl(2) nodes and (CN)(2)AlCl metalloligands and lacks the exchange of CN ligands.

Construction of a porous homochiral coordination polymer with two types of Cu(n)I(n) alternating units linked by quinine: a solvothermal and a mechanochemical approach.

The polymer network: The reaction of quinine (QN) with CuI under solvothermal, as well as liquid-assisted grinding, conditions afforded a unique 1D homochiral coordination polymer {[Cu(4)(µ(3)-I)(4)(QN)(2)][Cu(3)(µ(3)-I)(2)(µ(2)-I)(QN)(2)](2)}(n), containing both triangular Cu(3)I(3) and cubane Cu(4)I(4) clusters as connecting nodes (see scheme). Van der Waals interactions between the adjacent 1D polymer chains lead to an extended quasi-honeycomb homochiral pillared 3D network with solvent-free 1D channels.

Towards a new family of photoluminescent organozinc 8-hydroxyquinolinates with a high propensity to form noncovalent porous materials.

We report on investigations of reactions of tBu(2)Zn with 8-hydroxyquinoline (q-H) and the influence of water on the composition and structure of the final product. A new synthetic approach to photoluminescent zinc complexes with quinolinate ligands was developed that allowed the isolation of a series of structurally diverse and novel alkylzinc 8-hydroxyquinolate complexes: the trinuclear alkylzinc aggregate [tBuZn(q)](3) (1(3)), the pentanuclear oxo cluster [(tBu)(3)Zn(5)(µ(4) -O)(q)(5)] (2), and the tetranuclear hydroxo cluster [Zn(q)(2)](2)[tBuZn(OH)](2) (3). All compounds were characterized in solution by (1)H NMR, IR, UV/Vis, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and in the solid state by X-ray diffraction, TGA, and PL studies. Density functional theory calculations were also carried out for these new Zn(II) complexes to rationalize their luminescence behavior. A detailed analysis of the supramolecular structures of 2 and 3 shows that the unique shape of the corresponding single molecules leads to the formation of extended 3D networks with 1D open channels. Varying the stoichiometry, shape, and supramolecular structure of the resulting complexes leads to changes in their spectroscopic properties. The close-packed crystal structure of 1(3) shows a redshifted emission maximum in comparison to the porous crystal structure of 2 and the THF-solvated structure of 3.

Synthesis, structure and unique reactivity of the ethylzinc derivative of a bicyclic guanidine.

An equimolar reaction between ZnEt(2) and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidine (hppH) results in the formation of EtZn(hpp) (1) which crystallizes as a trinuclear agglomerate with the guanidinate ligands spanning 4-coordinate Zn centers. Exposure of a pre-formed THF solution of 1 to undried air leads to a ZnO-incorporating derivative 1(4)·ZnO, while an analogous experiment with CH(2)Cl(2) as solvent leads to a novel tetranuclear mixed aggregate formulated as [EtOZn(hpp)](2)[ClZn(hpp)](2) (2). The composition of 2 indicates that its formation proceeds via a complex multi-step reaction route that involves not only the oxygenation of ZnEt moieties, but also the activation of CH(2)Cl(2), causing the transfer of a chloride anion to the Zn center. Compounds were characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.