Supramolecular Structure in s‐Block Metal Complexes of Sulfonated Monoazo Dyes: Discrepant Packing and Bonding Behavior of ortho‐Sulfonated Azo Dyes

The first solid‐state structures of ortho‐sulfonated monoazo dyestuffs are reported and compared to those of their para‐ and meta‐sulfonated analogues. The structures of the 16 Na, K, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba ortho‐sulfonated salts are found to have fewer M? O₃S bonds than their isomeric equivalents and this in turn means that the metal type is no longer the prime indicator of which structural type will be adopted. M? O₃S bonds are replaced by M? OH₂, M? HOR and M–π interactions, apparently for steric reasons. As well as new bonding motifs, the changed dye shape also leads to new packing motifs. The simple organic/inorganic layering ubiquitous to the para‐ and meta‐sulfonated dye salt structures is replaced by variations (organic bilayers, inorganic channels), each of which correlates with a different degree of molecular planarity in the sulfonated azo dye anion.     

Coordination solids via assembly of adaptable components: systematic structural variation in alkaline earth organosulfonate networks

A family of alkaline earth organosulfonate coordination solids is reported. In contrast to more typical crystal engineering approaches, these solids are sustained by the assembly of building blocks that are coordinatively adaptable rather than rigid in their bonding preferences. The ligand, 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulfonate, L, progressively evolves from a 0D, 1D, 2D, to a 3D microporous network with the Group II cations Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+), and Ba(2+), (compounds 1-4), respectively. This trend in dimensionality can be explained by considering factors such as hard-soft acid-base principles and cation radii, a rationalization which follows salient crystal engineering principles. The selective gas sorption properties of the microporous 3D network [Ba(L)(H(2)O)].H(2)O, 4, with different gaseous guests are also presented.     

Heavy alkaline earth metal pyrazolates: synthetic pathways, structural trends, and comparison with divalent lanthanoids

Two series of heavy alkaline earth metal pyrazolates, [M(Ph(2)pz)(2)(thf)(4)] 1 a-c (Ph(2)pz=3,5-diphenylpyrazolate, M=Ca, Sr, Ba; THF=tetrahydrofuran) and [M(Ph(2)pz)(2)(dme)(n)] (M=Ca, 2 a, Sr, 2 b, n=2; M=Ba, 2 c, n=3; DME=1,2-dimethoxyethane) have been prepared by redox transmetallation/ligand exchange utilizing Hg(C(6)F(5))(2). Compounds 1 a and 2 b were also obtained by redox transmetallation with Tl(Ph(2)pz). Alternatively, direct reaction of the alkaline earth metals with 3,5-diphenylpyrazole at elevated temperatures under solventless conditions yielded compounds 1 a-c and 2 a-c upon extraction with THF or DME. By contrast, [M(Me(2)pz)(2)(Me(2)pzH)(4)] 3 a-c (M=Ca, Sr, Ba; Me(2)pzH=3,5-dimethylpyrazole) were prepared by protolysis of [M[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2)(thf)(2)] (M=Ca, Sr, Ba) with Me(2)pzH in THF and by direct metallation with Me(2)pzH in liquid NH(3)/THF. Compounds 1 a-c and 2 a-c display eta(2)-bonded pyrazolate ligands, while 3 a,b exhibit eta(1)-coordination. Complexes 1 a-c have transoid Ph(2)pz ligands and an overall coordination number of eight with a switch from mutually coplanar Ph(2)pz ligands in 1 a,b to perpendicular in 1 c. In eight coordinate 2 a,b the pyrazolate ligands are cisoid, whilst 2 c has an additional DME ligand and a metal coordination number of ten. By contrast, 3 a,b have octahedral geometry with four eta(1)-Me(2)pzH donors, which are hydrogen-bonded to the uncoordinated nitrogen atoms of the two trans Me(2)pz ligands. The application of synthetic routes initially developed for the preparation of lanthanoid pyrazolates provides detailed insight into the similarities and differences between the two groups of metals and structures of their complexes.