Assembly of lipophilic tetranuclear (Cu4 and Zn4) molecular metallophosphonates from 2,4,6-triisopropylphenylphosponic acid and pyrazole ligands

A sterically hindered aryl phosphonic acid ArP(O)(OH)2 (2) (Ar = 2,4,6-isopropylphenyl) was synthesized and structurally characterized. ArP(O)(OH)2 forms an interesting hydrogen-bonded corrugated sheet-type supramolecular structure in the solid-state. A three-component reaction involving ArP(O)(OH)2, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole(DMPZH), and Cu(CH3COO)2.H2O produces the tetranuclear Cu(II) compound Cu4(mu3-OH)2{ArPO2(OH)}2(CH3CO2)2(DMPZH)4]CH3COO]2.CH2Cl2 (3). A similar three-component reaction involving ArP(O)(OH)2, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, and Zn(CH3COO)2.2H2O yields the tetranuclear Zn(II) compound Zn4{ArPO3}2{ArPO2(OH)}2{DMPZH}4(DMPZ)2].5MeOH (4). While 3 has been found to have an asymmetric cage structure where two dinuclear copper cores are bridged by bidentate ArPO2(OH)]- ligands, 4 possesses an open-book tricyclic structure composed of three fused metallophosphonate rings. Magnetic studies on 3 revealed antiferromagnetic behavior.