Single-Crystal-to-Single-Crystal Installation of Ln4(OH)4 Cubanes in an Anionic Metallosupramolecular Framework

Postsynthetic installation of lanthanide cubanes into a metallosupramolecular framework via a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation is presented. Soaking single crystals of K₆[Rh₄Zn₄O(l -cys)₁₂] (K₆[ 1 ]; l -H₂cys=l -cysteine) in a water/ethanol solution containing Ln(OAc)₃ (Ln³⁺=lanthanide ion) results in the exchange of K⁺ by Ln³⁺ with retention of the single crystallinity, producing Ln₂[ 1 ] ( 2_Ln ) and Ln_0.33[Ln₄(OH)₄(OAc)₃(H₂O)₇][ 1 ] ( 3_Ln ) for early and late lanthanides, respectively. While the Ln³⁺ ions in 2_Ln exist as disordered aqua species, those in 3_Ln form ordered hydroxide-bridged cubane clusters that connect [ 1 ]⁶⁻ anions in a 3D metal-organic framework through coordination bonds with carboxylate groups. This study shows the utility of an anionic metallosupramolecular framework with carboxylate groups for the creation of a series of metal cubanes that have great potential for various applications, such as magnetic materials and heterogeneous catalysts.     

Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal Installation of Ln4(OH)4 Cubanes in an Anionic Metallosupramolecular Framework

Postsynthetic installation of lanthanide cubanes into a metallosupramolecular framework via a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SCSC) transformation is presented. Soaking single crystals of K₆[Rh₄Zn₄O(l ‐cys)₁₂] (K₆[ 1 ]; l ‐H₂cys=l ‐cysteine) in a water/ethanol solution containing Ln(OAc)₃ (Ln³⁺=lanthanide ion) results in the exchange of K⁺ by Ln³⁺ with retention of the single crystallinity, producing Ln₂[ 1 ] ( 2_Ln ) and Ln_0.33[Ln₄(OH)₄(OAc)₃(H₂O)₇][ 1 ] ( 3_Ln ) for early and late lanthanides, respectively. While the Ln³⁺ ions in 2_Ln exist as disordered aqua species, those in 3_Ln form ordered hydroxide‐bridged cubane clusters that connect [ 1 ]^6? anions in a 3D metal‐organic framework through coordination bonds with carboxylate groups. This study shows the utility of an anionic metallosupramolecular framework with carboxylate groups for the creation of a series of metal cubanes that have great potential for various applications, such as magnetic materials and heterogeneous catalysts.     

Crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis of transition‐metal complexes of 1,3‐azolecarboxylic acids

The crystal structures of five new transition‐metal complexes synthesized using thiazole‐2‐carboxylic acid (2‐Htza), imidazole‐2‐carboxylic acid (2‐H₂ima) or 1,3‐oxazole‐4‐carboxylic acid (4‐Hoxa), namely diaquabis(thiazole‐2‐carboxylato‐κ²N,O)cobalt(II), [Co(C₄H₂NO₂S)₂(H₂O)₂], 1 , diaquabis(thiazole‐2‐carboxylato‐κ²N,O)nickel(II), [Ni(C₄H₂NO₂S)₂(H₂O)₂], 2 , diaquabis(thiazole‐2‐carboxylato‐κ²N,O)cadmium(II), [Cd(C₄H₂NO₂S)₂(H₂O)₂], 3 , diaquabis(1H‐imidazole‐2‐carboxylato‐κ²N³,O)cobalt(II), [Co(C₄H₂N₂O₂)₂(H₂O)₂], 4 , and diaquabis(1,3‐oxazole‐4‐carboxylato‐κ²N,O⁴)cobalt(II), [Co(C₄H₂NO₃)₂(H₂O)₂], 5 , are reported. The influence of the nature of the heteroatom and the position of the carboxyl group in relation to the heteroatom on the self‐assembly process are discussed based upon Hirshfeld surface analysis and used to explain the observed differences in the single‐crystal structures and the supramolecular frameworks and topologies of complexes 1 – 5 .     

Polymorphism in metal complexes of thiazole-4-carboxylic acid

Five new molecular complexes of chemical formula [M(4-tza)₂(H₂O)₂] (M = Co, Ni, or Cu) and a complex of [Cu(4-tza)₂]·4H₂O using thiazole-4-carboxylic acid (4-tza) as the ligand have been successfully synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Two district polymorphs (α and β) are found for both [Co(4-tza)₂(H₂O)₂] and [Ni(4-tza)₂(H₂O)₂]. The effects of solvent composition and temperature on the formation of these polymorphs have been investigated and phase behaviour of the polymorphs was studied through X-ray powder diffraction. Unlike the complexes of Co and Ni, [Cu(4-tza)₂(H₂O)₂] does not display polymorphism but exhibits irreversible structural transformation from [Cu(4-tza)₂(H₂O)₂] to the dehydrated form, [Cu(4-tza)₂], upon heating.