Flexible cofacial binuclear metal complexes derived from alpha,alpha-bis(salicylimino)-m-xylene

The tetradentate Schiff-base ligand SIXH2 (alpha,alpha-bis(salicylimino)-m-xylene), prepared from salicylaldehyde and m-xylylenediamine, forms cofacial binuclear complexes with Pd and Cu. Of the two isomers possible (trans-syn and trans-anti) for M2(SIX)2, these complexes crystallize exclusively as the trans-anti isomer. In ansolvous Pd2(SIX)2, the metal-containing planes are approximately parallel, with PdPd 4.416(1) A. Pd2(SIX)2 also forms a crystalline solvate, in which the molecules adopt a more open conformation with longer metal-metal distances (5.109(1) and 5.112(1) A). The M...M distance is significantly longer in Cu2(SIX)2 (6.653(1) A), because of conformational changes in the m-xylylene moieties and substantial tetrahedral distortion about Cu.     

Through-shell alkyllithium additions and borane reductions

The through-shell borane reduction and methyllithium addition to benzaldehyde (1), benzocyclobutenone (2), and benzocyclobutenedione (3) incarcerated inside a hemicarcerand (4) with four tetramethylenedioxy bridges are reported. All guests could be reduced and methylated. Selective monoreduction and monomethylation were observed for 3. In the methyllithium addition to 4[symbol: see text]3, the initially formed lithium alcoholate underwent a Moore rearrangement. The reactivity of the incarcerated guests toward methyllithium increased in the order 1 < 2 < 3 and toward borane in the order 1 < 2 approximately equal 3. Guest reactivity was correlated with the inner-phase location of the reacting carbonyl group in the preferred guest inner-phase orientation. The latter was determined from the X-ray structures of 4[symbol: see text]1, 4[symbol: see text]2, and 4[symbol: see text]3, from molecular mechanical calculations, and from the hemicarcerand-induced upfield shift of the guest proton resonances. In the methyllithium and n-butyllithium addition to 4[symbol: see text]1 and 4[symbol: see text]3 at elevated temperatures, selective cleavage of a host's spanner or tetramethylenedioxy bridge, respectively, was observed. The cleavage of one spanner also took place in the methyllithium addition to the 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone hemicarceplex. These scission reactions are initiated by the initially formed lithium alcoholates, which show enhanced basicity and nucleophilicity in the inner phase as compared to the bulk phase. Mechanisms for the host scission reactions are discussed.     

Crystal structure and luminescence of 2,7-dimethylnaphthalene-1-carbonitrile

The title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2 ₁/c: M _r = 181.2; a = 7.119(1), b = 18.389(4), c = 7.5385(6) Å = 91.661(7)° V = 986.4(5) ų; and Z = 4. The purified material shows fluorescence similar to other naphthalene derivatives: monomer fluorescence (_max 350-370 nm) in the solid state and in dilute solutions, and excimer fluorescence (_max 421 nm) in concentrated solutions. Intense blue-green luminescence (_max 490 nm) is observed in some partially purified crystalline samples. This is attributed to phosphorescence from two isomeric bromodimethylnaphthalenecarbonitrile impurities detected by GC-MS analysis.     

3‐(4‐Cyano­phenyl)­pentane‐2,4‐dione and its copper(II) complex

The β‐diketone 3‐(4‐cyano­phenyl)­pentane‐2,4‐dione crystallizes as the enol tautomer 4‐(2‐hydroxy‐4‐oxopent‐2‐en‐3‐yl)­benzo­nitrile, C₁₂H₁₁NO₂, (I), with an intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond [O⋯O = 2.456 (2) Å]. Reaction of (I) with copper acetate monohydrate in the presence of triethyl­amine leads to the formation of the copper(II) complexbis­[3‐(4‐cyano­phenyl)­pentane‐2,4‐dionato‐κ²O,O]copper(II), [Cu(C₁₂H₁₀NO₂)₂], (II). In the structure of (II), the Cu atom is coordinated by four β‐diketonate O atoms in a slightly distorted square‐planar geometry, with Cu—O distances in the range 1.8946 (11)–1.9092 (11) Å. The nitrile moieties in (II) make it a candidate for reaction with other metal ions to produce supramolecular structures.