Molecules with Large Cavities in Supramolecular Chemistry

Supramolecular chemistry is a new area of research that has rapidly developed from pure synthetic chemistry, and its novelty has led to interdisciplinary cooperation between organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, physical and theoretical chemistry, and physics. Whereas molecular chemistry essentially deals with the covalent bonding of atoms, Supramolecular chemistry is predominantly involved in the study of the weaker intermolecular interactions resulting in the association and self-organization of several components to form larger aggregates (supramolecules). The first crown ether discovered by the subsequent Nobel prizewinner Pedersen was more the fortuitous reaction product of an impurity, but nowadays, some twenty-five years later, chemists are able to tailor host molecules to special requirements. Host compounds having a cyclophane skeleton make an important contribution, since their aromatic structural units ensure the necessary rigidity of the molecular structures and thereby improve the preorganization of the coordination sites for the cooperative binding of the guests. During the course of the rapid development of Supramolecular chemistry such a large number of synthetic hosts has been developed and their interaction with guests studied in such depth that we must restrict ourselves here to a discussion of a particular group of host compounds, namely cavity-supporting macrobicyclic and macrooligocyclic phanesu, which bear a similar relation to open-chain and monocyclic hosts as the metal-complexing cryptands to the podands and crown ethers. The molecular architecture of these three-dimensionally bridged macrooligocycles is a challenge for synthetic chemistry. (Not only the size and shape of the intramolecular cavity, but also the provision of the latter with suitable coordination centers have to be included in the synthesis strategy.) The capacity for the envelopment of guests from all sides and the expedient endo functionalization often also produce a particularly strong binding of host and guest, outstanding selectivities with regards to molecular recognition, and special properties of the Supramolecular complexes.     

Supramolecular Inorganic Chemistry: Small Guests in Small and Large Hosts

A key reaction in the biological and material world is the controlled linking of simple (molecular) building blocks, a reaction with which one can create mesoscopic structures, which, for example, contain cavities and display specifically desired properties, but also compounds that exhibit typical solid-state structures. The best example in this context is the chemistry of host–guest interactions, which spans the entire range from three- and two-dimensional to one- and “zero-dimensional”, discrete host structures. Members of the class of multidimensional compounds have been classified as such for a long time, for example, clathrates and intercalation compounds. Thus far, however, there are no classifications for discrete inorganic host–guest compounds. The first systematic approach can be applied to novel polyoxometalates, a class of compounds which has only recently become known. Molecular recognition; tailor-made, molecular engineering; control of fragment linkage of spin organization and crystallization; cryptands and coronands as “cages” for cations, anions or anion–cation aggregates as sections of ionic lattices; anions within anions, receptors; host–guest interactions; complementarity, as well as the dialectic terms reduction and emergence are important terms and concepts of supramolecular inorganic chemistry. Of particular importance for future research is the comprehension of the mesoscopic area (molècular assemblies)—that between individual molecules and solids (“substances”)—which acts in the biological world as carrier of function and information and for which interesting material properties are expected. This area is accessible through certain variations of “controlled” self-organization processes, which can be demonstrated by using examples from the chemistry of polyoxometalates. The comprehension of the laws that rule the linking of simple polyhedra to give complex systems enables one to deal with numerous interdisciplinary areas of research: crystal physics and chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, bioinorganic chemistry (biomineralization), and materials science. In addition, conservative self-organization processes, for example template-directed syntheses, are of importance for natural philosophy in the context of the question about the inherent properties of material systems.     

Molecular manipulation of solid state structure: influences of organic components on vanadium oxide architectures

Among the inorganic materials enjoying widespread contemporary interest, the metal oxide based solid phases occupy a prominent position by virtue of their applications to catalysis, sorption, molecular electronics, energy storage, optical materials and ceramics. The diversity of properties associated with these materials reflects the chemical composition, which allows variations in covalency, geometry and oxidation states, and the crystalline architecture, which may provide different pore structures, coordination sites, or juxtapositions of functional groups. Despite such fundamental and practical significance, the design of the structure of such materials remains a challenge in solid state chemistry. While organic materials have been synthesized which self-assemble into ordered arrays at low temperature and which exhibit molecular recognition and biomimetic activity, the ability to synthesize inorganic materials by rational design remains elusive. Small, soluble molecular building blocks with well-defined reaction chemistries which allow their low-temperature assembly into crystalline solid state inorganic materials are not well known. However, the existence of naturally occurring, structurally complex minerals establishes that hydrothermal synthesis can provide a low temperature pathway to produce open-framework and layered metastable structures utilizing inorganic starting materials. Thus, hydrothermal conditions have been used to prepare microporous tetrahedral framework solids that are capable of shape-selective absorption, like zeolites and aluminophosphates, and more recently in the preparation of complex solid arrays of the M/O/PO³⁻₄ and M/O/RPO²⁻₃ systems (M=V and Mo). The hydrothermal technique may be combined with the introduction of organic components which may act as charge compensating groups, space-filling units, structure directing agents, templates, tethers between functional groups, or conventional ligands in the preparation of inorganic/organic composites.In the past decade, this general strategy has been exploited in the evolution of a family of vanadium oxides incorporating structure-directing organic or secondary-metal organic subunits, which are the topic of this review. The synthetic approach to novel vanadium oxide solids occupies the interface between materials science and coordination chemistry. The emerging theme focuses on the association of an organic component, acting as a ligand, tether, or structure directing moiety, with the inorganic framework of the solid to provide unique composites. While some organic components may limit the size of inorganic cluster subunits of a solid by passivating the surface of an aggregate through capping, such ligands may also serve to link inorganic subunits into complex networks. In other cases, the organic subunit, rather than participating as a covalently bound unit of the framework, acts in a structure directing role, producing amphiphilic materials whose structures are determined by hydrophobic–hydrophilic interactions. This latter feature is reminiscent of the factors influencing biomineralization, a field which may prove relevant to the development of new strategies for the controlled synthesis of organized inorganic and organic/inorganic composite materials. These various approaches to the “design” of inorganic solids are discussed and assessed in terms of the new structural types recently observed in the vanadium oxide chemistry.     

Ceramics and Nanostructures from Molecular Precursors

The elaboration of solids from the molecular scale by a kinetically controlled methodology is one of the main challenges of molecular chemistry. In the long term, this should permit the design of solids with desired properties. Here, some examples are given which show a few methods that have been used for the preparation of solids from molecular precursors. The one-pot synthesis of rheologically controlled SiC is described. Access to a new kind of ceramic is obtained by the same methodology using molecular precursors. Mixed ceramics with interpenetrating networks are not accessible by the chemical thermodynamic route. The chemistry of hybrid materials obtained from molecular precursors through inorganic polymerization is presented. This class of materials offers wide perspectives because of 1) the large possibilities opened by the organic unit, 2) the kinetic control, which permits any kind of texture for the solid, and 3) the aptitude of these solids to become nanostructured.     

The Active Sites in Manganese-Containing Metalloproteins and Inorganic Model Complexes

Manganese is an essential trace element, forming the active sites of a number of metalloproteins. Several metalloproteins contain two or more manganese ions per subunit. The structural properties of these enzymes and the experimental evidence for their proposed structures are described. Parallel to the efforts of biochemists, who are seeking to understand the function of these enzymes on a molecular level, inorganic chemists have been investigating the coordination chemistry of bi- and polynuclear complexes of manganese which contain O, N donor atoms and a variety of bridging O, N ligands. A large number of such complexes have been synthesized, their X-ray structures determined and their magnetic and spectroscopic properties studied in detail. In some instances the electronic and spectroscopic properties of these model compounds are amazingly similar to those of the biomolecules. This has led to a deeper understanding of the structure and sometimes of the function of the metalloproteins. Research on manganese metalloproteins with polynuclear active sites represents a fascinating example of interdisciplinary cooperation between physicists, biochemists and inorganic chemists.     

Supramolecular motifs in s-block metal-bound sulfonated monoazo dyes, part 1: structural class controlled by cation type and modulated by sulfonate aryl ring position

The solid-state structures of 43 Li, Na, K, Rb, Mg, Ca and Ba salts of para- and meta-sulfonated azo dyes have been examined and can be categorised into three structural classes. All form alternating organic and inorganic layers, however, the nature of the coordination network that forms these layers differs from class to class. The class of structure formed was found to be primarily governed by metal type, but can also be influenced by the nature and position of the organic substituents. Thus, for the para-sulfonated azo dyes, Mg compounds form solvent-separated ion-pair solids; Ca, Ba and Li compounds form simple coordination networks based on metal-sulfonate bonding; and Na, K and Rb compounds form more complex, higher dimensional coordination networks. Compounds of meta-sulfonated azo dyes follow a similar pattern, but here, Ca species may also form solvent-separated ion-pair solids. Significantly, this first attempt to classify such dyestuffs using the principles of supramolecular chemistry succeeds not only for the simple dyes used here as model compounds, but also for more complex molecules, similar to modern colourants.     

From molecules to aggregates

The preparation of organometallic oxides, imides and nitrides is described. The molecular structures of these compounds resemble those found in binary systems. However, due to the organic envelope of the molecular solids, they are soluble in organic solvents, easy to crystallize and unambiguously characterizable by single X-ray structural analysis and NMR investigations. Moreover, inorganic oxides can be incorporated in organometallic phosphonates or organoalumoxanes. Herein we describe the organometallic phosphonates as hosts with a hydrophobic exterior.     

Static secondary ion mass spectrometry for organic and inorganic molecular analysis in solids

The use of mass spectra in secondary ion mass spectrometry (S-SIMS) to characterise the molecular composition of inorganic and organic analytes at the surface of solid samples is investigated. Methodological aspects such as mass resolution, mass accuracy, precision and accuracy of isotope abundance measurements, influence of electron flooding and sample morphology are addressed to assess the possibilities and limitations that the methodology can offer to support the structural assignment of the detected ions. The in-sample and between-sample reproducibility of relative peak intensities under optimised conditions is within 10%, but experimental conditions and local hydration, oxidation or contamination can drastically affect the mass spectra. As a result, the use of fingerprinting for identification becomes compromised. Therefore, the preferred way of interpretation becomes the deductive structural approach, based on the use of the empirical desorption–ionisation model. This approach is shown to allow the molecular composition of inorganic and organic components at the surface of solids to be characterised. Examples of inorganic speciation and identification of organic additives with unknown composition in inorganic salt mixtures are given. The methodology is discussed in terms of foreseen developments with respect to the use of polyatomic primary ions.     

Zintl ions, cage compounds, and intermetalloid clusters of Group 14 and Group 15 elements

For a long time, Zintl ions of Group 14 and 15 elements were considered to be remarkable species domiciled in solid-state chemistry that have unexpected stoichiometries and fascinating structures, but were of limited relevance. The revival of Zintl ions was heralded by the observation that these species, preformed in solid-state Zintl phases, can be extracted from the lattice of the solids and dissolved in appropriate solvents, and thus become available as reactants and building blocks in solution chemistry. The recent upsurge of research activity in this fast-growing field has now provided a rich plethora of new compounds, for example by substitution of these Zintl ions with organic groups and organometallic fragments, by oxidative coupling reactions leading to dimers, oligomers, or polymers, or by the inclusion of metal atoms under formation of endohedral cluster species and intermetalloid compounds; some of these species have good prospects in applications in materials science. This Review presents the enormous progress that has been made in Zintl ion chemistry with an emphasis on syntheses, properties, structures, and theoretical treatments.     

Pyramidal Carbocations

Pyramidal cations are discussed with reference to their role as the connecting link between organic and inorganic chemistry. The electronic structure of these ions is treated with respect to their physical and chemical properties, namely charge distribution, geometry, and quenching reactions with nucleophiles. The chemistry in the gas phase of certain carbenium ions, in particular the scrambling of carbon atoms, is readily explicable by invoking transition states or intermediates of pyramidal structure. Moreover, the behavior of unimolecular processes can be understood in terms of transition states in which a hydrogen molecule is positioned as a “side-on” or an “end-on” ligand.     

稀土无机发光材料:电子结构、光学性能和生物应用

目前,稀土无机发光材料在激光、光通讯、平板显示、荧光生物标记和纳米光电子器件等领域具有广泛的应用前景.稀土离子(从Ce到Yb)是一类性能优异的结构和光谱探针,其在不同介质材料中的光学性能主要取决于其局域态的电子结构和激发态动力学.对稀土发光材料开展深入的光学和光电子学基础研究有助于发现新颖的光学性能或开辟新的应用领域.依托研制的低温高分辨激光光谱和上转换量子产率等仪器,本课题组致力于稀土无机发光材料电子结构与性能研究,近年来在发光材料的控制合成、电子结构、光学性能及生物应用等方面取得了系列重要结果.这些研究有望加快实现稀土无机发光材料在生物应用的突破,实现稀土资源的高值利用.     

Synthesis, Structural Characterization of TTM-TTF Intercalated with Lamellar MnPS3

Intercalation of organic species into layer inorganic solids provides a useful approach to creating ordered organ ic-inorganic nanocomposite materials with novel properties compared with the parent compounds, and hence has attracted much attention in recent years. [1] Clement and co-workers had reported that an organic electron donor TTF monocation intercalated into the MPS3 (M = Mn, Fe), and the intercalates exhibited much higher conductivity than the corresponding pure host compounds. Our group also synthesized the intercalation compound of BEDT-TTF into MnPS3, which exhibits the room temperature conductivity of 8.5 × 10-5 S/cm, 1O5 times higher than that of the pristine MnPS3 ( ＜ 10- 10 S/cm). [2]     

Unravelling Crystal Structures of Covalent Organic Frameworks by Electron Diffraction Tomography

Featuring the art of covalent chemistry on 2D and 3D with molecular precision, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted immense interests from inorganic, organic, polymer, materials and energy chemistry. However, due to the synthetic challenge of “crystallization problem”, structural determination of COFs has been the bottle‐neck in speeding up their discovery and design, as well as building up their structure‐ property relation. Electron diffraction tomography (EDT) has been developed to determine crystal structures of COFs with only sub‐micrometer sized single crystals, which enabled the ab initio determination of crystal structure, molecular connectivity, pore metrics, and host‐guest interaction at the atomic level. In this review, we summarized the recent developments of EDT for addressing challenges in structure determinations of such e‐beam sensitive, organic porous crystals, covering comprehensively automatic data collection, low dose, cryogenic protocols, structural solution method, powder X‐ray diffraction refinement, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging techniques. We do believe the EDT will propel this field into the new era of COF chemistry with atomic precision, and we envision the wide application of artificial intelligence will promote the structural determination and particle analysis of COFs and related materials.     

Inorganic electrides

Inorganic electrides are a novel kind of ionic compounds in which the anions are electrons confined in a complex array of cavities or channels and the cations are nanoscale arrays of alkali metal ions that provide charge balance. In electrides the donated electron behaves like a low-density correlated electron gas, whereby the dimensionality of the electron gas and its electronic and magnetic properties are determined by the topology of the cavities in the host matrix. Unlike traditional electrides, in which alkali cations are encapsulated within an organic cage, inorganic electrides are thermally stable. The current inorganic electrides based on alkali metal loaded zeolites can be designed as useful reduced-dimensionality materials. Inorganic electrides are powerful reducing agents, and they are able to reduce small aromatic molecules to the radical anions within the channels of the zeolite.     

Hybrid materials based on vanadium pentoxide intercalation complexes

Neutral macrocyclic compounds (crown ethers and cryptands) and charged molecular species (alkylammonium iodides) were intercalated into vanadium oxide xerogel (V₂O₅ · nH₂O) to study their influence on the electrical behaviour of this inorganic 2D host lattice. Treatment with alkyl or arylammonium iodide solutions produced the intercalation of organic cations accompanied by the reduction of a fraction of V (V) to V (IV). Characterisation by different techniques allowed the postulation of the interlayer arrangement of the guest species. The study of electrical behaviour at different temperatures indicated that the properties of the hybrid materials can be mainly related to the nature of guest species, the degree of host lattice reduction, the interlayer water content, and the␣presence of metal ions deliberately introduced in the system. Received: 23 January 2001 Accepted: 5 April 2001     

Anomalous Charge Transfer from Organic Ligands to Metal Halides in Zero-Dimensional [(C6H5)4P]2SbCl5 Enabled by Pressure-Induced Lone Pair-π Interaction

Low-dimensional (low-D) organic metal halide hybrids (OMHHs) have emerged as fascinating candidates for optoelectronics due to their integrated properties from both organic and inorganic components. However, for most of low-D OMHHs, especially the zero-D (0D) compounds, the inferior electronic coupling between organic ligands and inorganic metal halides prevents efficient charge transfer at the hybrid interfaces and thus limits their further tunability of optical and electronic properties. Here, using pressure to regulate the interfacial interactions, efficient charge transfer from organic ligands to metal halides is achieved, which leads to a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) at around 6.0 GPa in a 0D OMHH, [(C₆H₅)₄P]₂SbCl₅. In situ experimental characterizations and theoretical simulations reveal that the pressure-induced electronic coupling between the lone-pair electrons of Sb³⁺ and the π electrons of benzene ring (lp-π interaction) serves as an unexpected “bridge” for the charge transfer. Our work opens a versatile strategy for the new materials design by manipulating the lp-π interactions in organic–inorganic hybrid systems.     

Influence of Saturated or Unsaturated Dicarboxylate Anions on Magnetism of Co(Ⅱ) and Cu(Ⅱ) Hydroxide-based Spin Layers

In the context of molecule-based magnets, a driving force is the design of complex systems, combining molecular units used as building blocks, to favor bulk magnetic properties. Such a strategy has been successfully explored for the preparation of both purely organic as well as purely inorganic magnets. A step forward, to achieve multifunctional solids, is the combination of both the molecular and inorganic chemistries to build hybrid organic/inorganic materials. Clearly, such an approach is very appealing for the design of novel 3d materials exhibiting improved properties with respect to those of the individual networks.     

有机/聚合物π半导体的四元设计原理

从物质结构的角度来看,有机/聚合物半导体是以组合π-轨道为主要电荷载流子输运通道的分子凝聚态固体.其化学本质是π系统,可以通过π-轨道的分子工程技术来巧妙地合成.本文以自己课题组的工作为主线,从物理有机化学的角度,阐述了有机/聚合物半导体设计的基本四要素,即电子结构、空间位阻、构象与拓扑以及超分子弱作用.同时,总结了四个单元要素在有机/聚合物半导体设计方面的研究进展,并展望了四元设计正成为科学家的一种重要思维模式.