Tailoring the Solid‐State Fluorescence Emission of BODIPY Dyes by meso Substitution

4,4‐Difluoro‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY) derivatives bearing varied substituents at the meso position (i.e., CF₃, CH₃, COOR, CHO, CN, Cl, iPr) were synthesized to elucidate the structure–property relationships that give rise to emissive J‐aggregates. Several new BODIPY derivatives can be added to the previously reported 1,3,5,7‐tetramethyl‐8‐trifluoromethyl derivative to the list of those forming J‐aggregates, in addition to other dyes that are emissive in the solid state without forming J‐aggregates.     

Stable meso‐Aryl β‐Alkyl Hybrid Sapphyrin with a Warped π‐Conjugation Circuit and Neo‐Confused Sapphyrin–Silver(I) Complex

A meso‐aryl and β‐alkyl substituted sapphyrin and its rhodium(I) and silver complexes were synthesized. This sapphyrin was so stable that the non‐inverted and warped structure could be analyzed by X‐ray crystallography even in its neutral state. Its bis‐rhodium(I) complex has a more planar structure than the sapphyrin with enhanced aromaticity over the conjugation circuit. On the other hand, silver metalation of the sapphyrin caused a marked core rearrangement into a neo‐confused sapphyrin derivative with a C(α)?N bond and a twisted macrocycle.     

meso‐3,5‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl‐Substituted Expanded Porphyrins: Synthesis,Characterization, and Optical,Electrochemical, and Photophysical Properties

Trifluoroacetic acid‐catalyzed condensation of pyrrole with electron‐deficient and sterically hindered 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)benzaldehyde results in the unexpected production of a series of meso‐3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl‐substituted expanded porphyrins including [22]sapphyrin 2 , N‐fused [22]pentaphyrin 3 , [26]hexaphyrin 4 , and intact [32]heptaphyrin 5 together with the conventional 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)porphyrin 1 . These expanded porphyrins are characterized by mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The optical and electrochemical measurements reveal a decrease in the HOMO–LUMO gap with increasing size of the conjugated macrocycles, and in accordance with the trend, the deactivation of the excited singlet state to the ground state is enhanced.     

Conformational studies on heteroleptic trifluoromethyl‐substituted phenylboranes

Organoboranes carrying electron‐withdrawing substituents are commonly used as Lewis acidic catalysts or cocatalysts in a variety of organic processes. These Lewis acids also became popular through their application in `frustrated Lewis pairs', i.e. combinations of Lewis acids and bases that are unable to fully neutralize each other due to steric or electronic effects. We have determined the crystal and molecular structures of four heteroleptic arylboranes carrying 2‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, 2,6‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl or mesityl substituents. [3,5‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]bis[2‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borane, C₂₂H₁₁BF₁₂, (I), crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit which show very similar geometric parameters. In one of the two molecules, both trifluoromethyl groups of the 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl substituent are disordered over two positions. In [3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]bis[2,6‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borane, C₂₄H₉BF₁₈, (II), only one of the two meta‐trifluoromethyl groups is disordered. In [2,6‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]bis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borane, C₂₄H₉BF₁₈, (III), both meta‐trifluoromethyl groups of only one 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl ring are disordered. [3,5‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]dimesitylborane, C₂₆H₂₅BF₆, (IV), carries only one meta‐trifluoromethyl‐substituted phenyl ring, with one of the two trifluoromethyl groups disordered over two positions. In addition to compounds (I)–(IV), the structure of bis[2,6‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]fluoroborane, C₁₆H₆BF₁₃, (V), is presented. None of the ortho‐trifluoromethyl groups is disordered in any of the five compounds. In all the structures, the boron centre is in a trigonal planar coordination. Nevertheless, the bond angles around this atom vary according to the bulkiness and mutual repulsion of the substituents of the phenyl rings. Also, the ortho‐trifluoromethyl‐substituted phenyl rings usually show longer B—C bonds and tend to be tilted out of the BC₃ plane by a higher degree than the phenyl rings carrying ortho H atoms. A comparison with related structures corroborates the conclusions regarding the geometric parameters of the boron centre drawn from the five structures in this paper. On the other hand, CF₃ groups in meta positions do not seem to have a marked effect on the geometry involving the boron centre. Furthermore, it has been observed for the structures reported here and those reported previously that for CF₃ groups in ortho positions of the aromatic ring, disorder of the F atoms is less probable than for CF₃ groups in meta or para positions of the ring.     

Asymmetric anionic polymerizations of 7‐(o‐substituted phenyl)‐2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone methides: Electrostatic interaction and steric,inductive, and resonance effects of the ortho‐substituent on the optical activity

7‐(o‐Substituted phenyl)‐2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone methides which have an electron‐donating methoxy‐(o‐OMe, 2a ) and methyl‐ (o‐Me, 2b ) substituents or an electron‐withdrawing cyano‐ (o‐CN, 2c ) and trifluoromethyl‐ (o‐CF₃, 2d ) substituents at the ortho‐position of the aromatic ring and 7‐(m‐substituted phenyl)‐2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone methide with an electron‐withdrawing trifluoromethyl‐ (m‐CF₃, 2e ) substituent at the meta‐position of the aromatic ring were synthesized, and their asymmetric anionic polymerizations using the complex of lithium 4‐isopropylphenoxide with (?)‐sparteine were carried out in toluene at 0 °C. The polymers with negative optical activity were obtained for all of five monomers, and their specific rotation values largely changed depending upon the substituents of the monomers. On the basis of the comparison of various substituents effects, it was found that the specific rotation of obtained polymers is significantly affected by the electronic effects such as inductive and resonance effects rather than the steric and electrostatic effects of the substituent. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 1048–1058     

Positional disorder manifested as compositional in a pseudo‐C2‐symmetrical Pd complex

The title compound {2‐[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐ylmethyl]‐6‐(3,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐ylmethyl)pyridine}methylpalladium(II) tetrakis[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate, [Pd(C₁₈H₁₈F₆N₅)][B(C₈H₃F₆)₄], crystallizes as discrete cations and anions. The cation possesses a pseudo‐twofold axis about which positional disorder of the tridentate ligand is exhibited. The four substituents on the two pyrazole rings exhibit CH₃/CF₃ disorder, while all other atoms are ordered. Thus, this disorder can be conveniently described `locally' as compositional, while `globally' for the entire tridentate ligand it is positional. The anion also exhibits typical rotational positional disorder in three of the CF₃ groups. All disordered CF₃ groups were modeled with idealized C_3v geometry.     

CF3‐Inspired Synthesis of Air‐Tolerant 9‐Phosphaanthracenes that Feature Fluorescence and Crystalline Polymorphs

9‐Phosphaanthracene (dibenzo[b,e]phosphorin, acridophosphine) has attracted interest as one of the heavier acenes. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient synthetic process that provides air‐tolerant 1,8‐bis(trifluoromethyl)‐9‐phosphaanthracenes. The sterically encumbered and electron‐withdrawing trifluoromethyl (CF₃) groups are quite advantageous not only to stabilize the intrinsically unstable heavier unsaturated phosphorus atom but also to facilitate construction of the phosphinine skeleton based on a putative increase in aromaticity. The isolated 9‐phosphaanthracenes allowed characterization of their fluorescence functionality and planar heteroanthracene frameworks. The crystal structures of 9‐phosphaanthracenes are remarkably dependent on the aryl substituents at the 10 position; anthryl‐substituted 9‐phosphaanthracene showed unique polymorphs that induced different‐colored crystals.     

Stereoselective Access to Fluorinated and Non‐fluorinated Quaternary Piperidines: Synthesis of Pipecolic Acid and Iminosugar Derivatives

The preparation of optically pure quaternary piperidines, both fluorinated and non‐fluorinated, has been achieved from a chiral imino lactone derived from (R)‐phenylglycinol. In the case of the fluorinated derivatives, the addition of (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMSCF₃) followed by iodoamination and migration of the CF₃ group allowed access to four derivatives of α‐(trifluoromethyl)pipecolic acid. A theoretical study of the CF₃‐group rearrangement has been carried out to help establish the reaction mechanism of this uncommon transformation. Moreover, a route to trifluoromethyl‐substituted iminosugars was also developed through the diastereoselective dihydroxylation of suitable synthetic intermediates. Conversely, alkylation of the starting substrate and subsequent cross‐metathesis and aza‐Michael reactions led to α‐alkyl derivatives of the target compounds.     

Probing the Rotational Dynamics of meso‐(2‐Substituted)aryl Substituents in A2B‐Type Subporphyrins

A₂B‐type B‐methoxy subporphyrins 3 a – g and B‐phenyl subporphyrins 7 a – c , e , g bearing meso‐(2‐substituted)aryl substituents are synthesized, and their rotational dynamics are examined through variable‐temperature (VT) ¹H NMR spectroscopy. In these subporphyrins, the rotation of meso‐aryl substituents is hindered by a rationally installed 2‐substituent. The rotational barriers determined are considerably smaller than those reported previously for porphyrins. Comparison of the rotation activation parameters reveals a variable contribution of ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ in ΔG^≠. 2‐Methyl and 2‐ethyl groups of the meso‐aryl substituents in subporphyrins 3 e , 3 f , and 7 e induce larger rotational barriers than 2‐alkoxyl substituents. The rotational barriers of 3 g and 7 g are reduced by the presence of the 4‐dibenzylamino group owing to its ability to stabilize the coplanar rotation transition state electronically. The smaller rotational barriers found for B‐phenyl subporphyrins than for B‐methoxy subporphyrins indicate a negligible contribution of S_N1‐type heterolysis in the rotation of meso‐aryl substituents.     

Synthesis of Three‐, Five‐, and Six‐Membered Heterocycles Derived from New β‐Amino‐α‐(trifluoromethyl) Alcohols

Nucleophilic trifluoromethylation of α‐imino ketones 2 , derived from arylglyoxal, with Ruppert–Prakash reagent (CF₃SiMe₃) offers a convenient access to the corresponding O‐silylated β‐imino‐α‐(trifluoromethyl) alcohols. In a ‘one‐pot’ procedure, by treatment with NaBH₄, these products smoothly undergo reduction and desilylation yielding the expected β‐amino‐α‐(trifluoromethyl) alcohols 4 . The latter were used as starting materials for the synthesis of diverse trifluoromethylated heterocycles, including aziridines 5 , 1,3‐oxazolidines 8 , 1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐ones 9 , 1,3,2‐oxazaphospholidine 2‐oxides 10 , 1,2,3‐oxathiazolidine 2‐oxides 11 , and morpholine‐2,3‐diones 12 . An optically active 5‐(trifluoromethyl)‐substituted 1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one 9g was also obtained.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Coupling of Secondary α‐(Trifluoromethyl)benzyl Tosylates

A palladium‐catalyzed C(sp³)−C(sp²) Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling of aryl boronic acids and α‐(trifluoromethyl)benzyl tosylates is reported. A readily available, air‐stable palladium catalyst was employed to access a wide range of functionalized 1,1‐diaryl‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethanes. Enantioenriched α‐(trifluoromethyl)benzyl tosylates were found to undergo cross‐coupling to give the corresponding enantioenriched cross‐coupled products with an overall inversion in configuration. The crucial role of the CF₃ group in promoting this transformation is demonstrated by comparison with non‐fluorinated derivatives.     

Lewis Base-Catalyzed Formation of α-Trifluoromethyl Alcohol from CF3SiMe3 and Carbonyl-Containing Compounds

Lewis base could catalyze the formation of a-trifluoromethyl alcohol from CF3SiMe3 and carbonyl-containing compounds. It was found that the α-trifluoromethyl alcohol could also be used to promote the synthesis in basic conditions.     

Synthesis and X‐ray Crystal Structures of Acenaphthenequinone‐based α‐Diimine Palladium Complexes and a Novel V‐shape Tripalladium Cluster

Partially fluorinated 1,4‐Diazadiene (α‐Diimine) ligand 3,5‐CF₃‐BIAN (1) formed from 3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline and acenaphthenequinone was used in the synthesis of palladium dichlorido complex 2 and its mono methyl chlorido palladium complex 3 . Both complexes as well as side products of the reaction with methyl lithium such as trans‐bis(3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)aniline complex 4 and an interesting mixed valent trinuclear V‐shaped palladium cluster 5 with two bridging μ²,η³‐N,CN′ non‐innocent BIAN ligands were structurally characterized by the single‐crystal XRD method.     

Theoretical insight into the photodeactivation pathway of the tetradentate Pt (II) complex with different inductive substituents

Density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) both were used to explore the impacts of different inductive substituents on the photophysical properties, radiative/nonradiative processes and photodeactivation mechanism for the Pt (II) complex with novel spiro‐arranged tetradentate ligand. Spectrum simulations show that the electron donor methoxyl (‐OCH₃) group can cause the emission wavelength to red‐shift but have little effect on the absorption spectrum. In the simulation of the radiative decay process for the tetradentate Pt (II) complex, the singlet‐triplet splitting energy is reduced by the introduction of substituents with strong electron‐releasing capability (i.e., from the original trifluoromethyl (‐CF₃) group to ‐OCH₃ group), accompanied with a lower radiative rate constant (k_r). The analyses of non‐radiative decay processes show that the substitution of ‐OCH₃ group on azole rings reduces the energy barriers of thermally activated non‐radiative photodeactivation pathway, which in turn increases the temperature‐dependent non‐radiative rate constants (k_nr(T)). In addition, the substitution of ‐CF₃ by ‐OCH₃ group slightly weakens molecular rigidity and enhances the Huang‐Rhys factor, but decreases the SOC between the triplex excited (T) state and the ground (S₀) state. Thereby, the two complexes may have the similar temperature‐independent non‐radiative rate constant (k_nr’). This work offers theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of the efficient organic light emitting diode (OLED) materials based on the structure of tetradentate Pt (II) complexes.     

From C1 to C3: Copper‐Catalyzed gem‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)olefination of α‐Diazo Esters with TMSCF3

A Cu‐catalyzed gem‐bis(trifluoromethyl)olefination of α‐diazo esters, using TMSCF₃ as the only fluorocarbon source, has been developed and provides an exquisite method to access gem‐bis(trifluoromethyl)alkenes. This unprecedented olefination process involves a carbene migratory insertion into “CuCF₃” to generate the α‐CF₃‐substituted organocopper species, which then undergoes β‐fluoride elimination and two consecutive addition‐elimination processes to give the desired products. The key to this efficient one‐pot C₁‐to‐C₃ synthetic protocol lies in the controllable double (over single and triple) trifluoromethylations of the gem‐difluoroalkene intermediates.     

The structures of 1,4‐diaryl‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles related to J147, a drug for treating Alzheimer's disease

J147 [N‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐2,2,2‐trifluoro‐N′‐(3‐methoxybenzylidene)acetohydrazide] has recently been reported as a promising new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The X‐ray structures of seven new 1,4‐diaryl‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazoles, namely 1‐(3,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐4‐phenyl‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₇H₁₄F₃N₃, 1 ), 1‐(3,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐4‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₈H₁₆F₃N₃O, 2 ), 1‐(3,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐4‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₈H₁₆F₃N₃O, 3 ), 1‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐4‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₈H₁₆F₃N₃O, 4 ), 1‐[2,4‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐4‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₈H₁₀F₉N₃O, 5 ), 1‐(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐4‐(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole (C₁₉H₁₈F₃N₃O₄, 6 ) and 3‐[4‐(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐5‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐1‐yl]phenol (C₁₇H₁₄F₃N₃O₃, 7 ), have been determined and compared to that of J147 . B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) calculations have been performed to determine the potential surface and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of J147 , and to examine the correlation between hydrazone J147 and the 1,2,3‐triazoles, both bearing a CF₃ substituent. Using MEPs, it was found that the minimum‐energy conformation of 4 , which is nearly identical to its X‐ray structure, is closely related to one of the J147 seven minima.     

Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric [3+2]‐Cycloaddition of α‐Substituted Iminoesters with α‐Trifluoromethyl α,β‐Unsaturated Esters

Reported herein is an example of highly regio‐, diastereo‐ and enantioselective Cu(I)‐catalyzed intermolecular [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of α‐substituted iminoesters with α‐trifluoromethyl α,β‐unsaturated esters. This novel strategy provided a facile access to pyrrolidines with two skipped (aza)quaternary stereocenters including a CF₃ all‐carbon quaternary stereocenter. A broad substrate scope was observed and high yields (up to 94%) with excellent diastereoselectivity (up to >20 : 1 d.r.) and enantioselectivity (up to 98% ee) were obtained.     

Ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐ and meso‐lactide initiated by indium bis(phenolate) isopropoxy complexes

Ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐ and meso‐lactide initiated by indium bis(phenolate) isopropoxides {1,4‐dithiabutanediylbis(4,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenolate)}(isopropoxy)indium ( 1 ) and {1,4‐dithiabutanediylbis(4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenolate)}(isopropoxy)indium ( 2 ) is found to follow first‐order kinetics for monomer conversion. Activation parameters ΔH^? and ΔS^? suggest an ordered transition state. Initiators 1 and 2 polymerize meso‐lactide faster than rac‐lactide. In general, compound 2 with the more bulky cumyl ortho‐substituents in the phenolate moiety shows higher polymerization activity than 1 with tert‐butyl substituents. meso‐Lactide is polymerized to syndiotactic poly(meso‐lactides) in THF, while polymerization of rac‐lactide in THF gives atactic poly(rac‐lactides) with solvent‐dependent preferences for heterotactic (THF) or isotactic (CH₂Cl₂) sequences. Indium bis(phenolate) compound rac‐(1,2‐cyclohexanedithio‐2,2′‐bis{4,6‐di(2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl)phenolato}(isopropoxy)indium ( 3 ) polymerizes meso‐lactide to give syndiotactic poly(meso‐lactide) with narrow molecular weight distributions and rac‐lactide in THF to give heterotactically enriched poly(rac‐lactides). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4983–4991     

Synthesis,crystal structures and anti‐inflammatory activity of four 3,5‐bis(arylidene)‐N‐benzenesulfonyl‐4‐piperidone derivatives

3,5‐Bis(arylidene)‐4‐piperidone (BAP) derivatives display good antitumour and anti‐inflammatory activities because of their double α,β‐unsaturated ketone structural characteristics. If N‐benzenesulfonyl substituents are introduced into BAPs, the configuration of the BAPs would change significantly and their anti‐inflammatory activities should improve. Four N‐benzenesulfonyl BAPs, namely (3E,5E)‐1‐(4‐methylbenzenesulfonyl)‐3,5‐bis[4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzylidene]piperidin‐4‐one dichloromethane monosolvate, C₂₈H₂₁F₆NO₃S·CH₂Cl₂, ( 4 ), (3E,5E)‐1‐(4‐fluorobenzenesulfonyl)‐3,5‐bis[4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzylidene]piperidin‐4‐one, C₂₇H₁₈F₇NO₃S, ( 5 ), (3E,5E)‐1‐(4‐nitrobenzenesulfonyl)‐3,5‐bis[4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzylidene]piperidin‐4‐one, C₂₇H₁₈F₆N₂O₅S, ( 6 ), and (3E,5E)‐1‐(4‐cyanobenzenesulfonyl)‐3,5‐bis[4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzylidene]piperidin‐4‐one dichloromethane monosolvate, C₂₈H₁₈F₆N₂O₃S·CH₂Cl₂, ( 7 ), were prepared by Claisen–Schmidt condensation and N‐sulfonylation. They were characterized by NMR, FT–IR and HRMS (high resolution mass spectrometry). Single‐crystal structure analysis reveals that the two 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl rings on both sides of the piperidone ring in ( 4 )–( 7 ) adopt an E stereochemistry of the olefinic double bonds. Molecules of both ( 4 ) and ( 6 ) are connected by hydrogen bonds into one‐dimensional chains. In ( 5 ) and ( 7 ), pairs of adjacent molecules embrace through intermolecular hydrogen bonds to form a bimolecular combination, which are further extended into a two‐dimensional sheet. The anti‐inflammatory activity data reveal that ( 4 )–( 7 ) significantly inhibit LPS‐induced interleukin (IL‐6) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α) secretion. Most importantly, ( 6 ) and ( 7 ), with strong electron‐withdrawing substituents, display more potential inhibitory effects than ( 4 ) and ( 5 ).     

A Design Strategy for Single‐Stranded Helicates using Pyridine‐Hydrazone Ligands and PbII

The reactions of py‐hz ligands ( L1–L5 ) with Pb(CF₃SO₃)₂?H₂O resulted in some rare examples of discrete single‐stranded helical Pb^II complexes. L1 and L2 formed non‐helical mononuclear complexes [Pb L1 (CF₃SO₃)₂]?CHCl₃ and Pb L2 (CF₃SO₃)₂][Pb L2 CF₃SO₃]CF₃SO₃?CH₃CN, which reflected the high coordination number and effective saturation of Pb^II by the ligands. The reaction of L3 with Pb^II resulted in a dinuclear meso‐helicate [Pb₂ L3 (CF₃SO₃)₂Br]CF₃SO₃?CH₃CN with a stereochemically‐active lone pair on Pb^II. L4 directed single‐stranded helicates with Pb^II, including [Pb₂ L4 (CF₃SO₃)₃]CF₃SO₃?CH₃CN and [Pb₂ L4 CF₃SO₃(CH₃OH)₂](CF₃SO₃)₃?2 CH₃OH?2 H₂O. The acryloyl‐modified py‐hz ligand L5 formed helical and non‐helical complexes with Pb^II, including a trinuclear Pb^II complex [Pb₃ L5 (CF₃SO₃)₅]CF₃SO₃?3CH₃CN?Et₂O. The high denticity of the long‐stranded py‐hz ligands L4 and L5 was essential to the formation of single‐stranded helicates with Pb^II.