Harnessing Bottom‐Up Self‐Assembly To Position Five Distinct Components in an Ordered Porous Framework

Positioning a diverse set of building blocks in a well‐defined array enables cooperativity amongst them and the systematic programming of functional properties. The extension of this concept to porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is challenging since the installation of multiple components in a well‐ordered framework requires careful design of the lattice topology, judicious selection of building blocks, and precise control of the crystallization parameters. Herein, we report how we met these challenges to prepare the first quinary MOF structure, FDM‐8, by bottom‐up self‐assembly from two metals, Zn^II and Cu^I, and three distinct carboxylate‐ and pyrazolate‐based linkers. With a surface area of 3643 m² g^?1, FDM‐8 contains hierarchical pores and shows outstanding methane‐storage capacity at high pressure. Furthermore, functional groups introduced on the linkers became compartmentalized in predetermined arrays in the pores of the FDM‐8 framework.     

Exciton coupling in coordination compounds

This Perspective reviews the impact of exciton coupling on the spectroscopic properties of coordination compounds. Exciton coupling features arise in electronic absorption and circular dichroism spectra when chromophores are brought into close spatial proximity, for example by coordination to a metal centre. The analysis of these features can reveal much information such as the geometry of a complex and its absolute configuration. The extension of the exciton coupling model to polynuclear metallosupramolecular arrays is discussed.     

New high-energy luminescence bands from Co2+ in ZnSe

Three sharp absorption features in the energy range 2.36–2.55 eV have been detected in the transmission spectrum of Co-diffused ZnSe, and a number of luminescence transitions originating from the lowest of these states at 2.361 eV have been observed. Photoluminescence excitation spectra prove that these are high energy excited states of the Co²⁺_Zn impurity, a conclusion confirmed by comparison of measured and predicted luminescence energies. This represents the first identification of luminescence branching from a higher excited state of a transition metal ion in any semiconductor. The sharp, weakly phonon-coupled transitions involve either intra-impurity excitation or transitions from the impurity to localised states split off from a minimum in the conduction band. The implications of these observations for the mechanism of host-impurity energy transfer and for the nature of the excited state wavefunctions are discussed.     

A general thermolabile protecting group strategy for organocatalytic metal-organic frameworks

We present a general strategy for incorporating organocatalytic moieties into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The organocatalytic units are protected by a thermolabile protecting group during MOF synthesis and then unveiled by a simple postsynthetic heating step. The strategy is exemplified using a thermolabile tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protecting group for a proline moiety, the removal of which endows the resulting cubic zinc(II) IRMOF with catalytic activity for asymmetric aldol reactions. The bulky Boc groups also prevent framework interpenetration, producing open MOFs that can admit relatively large substrates.     

Luminescent rhenium(I)-dipyrrinato complexes

The first Re(I)-dipyrrinato complexes are reported. Complexes with the general formulas fac-[ReL(CO)(3)Cl](-), fac-[ReL(CO)(3)PR(3)], and [ReL(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))] have been prepared, where L is one of a series of meso-aryl dipyrrinato ligands. Access to these complexes proceeds via the reaction of [Re(CO)(5)Cl] with the dipyrrin (LH) to produce fac-[ReL(CO)(3)Cl](-). A subsequent reaction with PR(3) (R = phenyl, butyl) leads to displacement of the chloride ligand to generate fac-[ReL(CO)(3)PR(3)], and further reaction with PR'(3) leads to the displacement of the CO ligand trans to the first PR(3) ligand to give trans(P), cis(C)-[ReL(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))]. The structures of the complexes were determined in the solid state by X-ray crystallography and in solution by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Electronic absorption spectroscopy reveals a prominent band in the visible region at relatively low energy (472-491 nm) for all complexes, which is assigned as a π-π* transition of the dipyrrin chromophore. Weak emission (λ(ex) = 485 nm, quantum yields <0.01) was observed for [ReL(CO)(3)Cl](-) and [ReL(CO)(3)PR(3)] complexes, but no emission was generally evident from the [ReL(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))] complexes. On the basis of the large Stokes shift (~6000 cm(-1)), the emission is ascribed to phosphorescence from a triplet excited state. The emission intensity is sensitive to dissolved oxygen and methyl viologen; a Stern-Volmer plot in the latter case gave a straight line. Photochemical ligand substitution reactions of [ReL(CO)(3)PR(3)] were induced by excitation with a 355 nm laser in acetonitrile. [ReL(CO)(2)(PR(3))(CH(3)CN)] is formed as a putative intermediate, which reacts thermally with added PR'(3) to produce [ReL(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))] complexes.     

Isopolyoxometalates derived from arylstibonic acids with "reverse-Keggin ion" structures based on [M(RSb)(12)O(28)] cores, M = Co(ii) or Zn(ii)

The preparations and structures are described of four new polyoxostibonates, [Co(p-MeC(6)H(4)Sb)(12)O(28){Co(H(2)O)(3)}(4)]Cl(2)·6H(2)O, [Co(p-ClC(6)H(4)Sb)(12)O(28){Co(H(2)O)(3)}(4)]Cl(2)·22H(2)O, (PhCH(2)NMe(3))(2)[Zn(p-ClC(6)H(4)Sb)(12)O(28)Zn(4)Cl(2.54)Br(1.46)]·8MeCN·H(2)O and [BaCoH(4)(p-MeC(6)H(4)Sb)O(28)]·5H(2)O. Each of these has a framework of 12 (RSb) groups linked by 28 O atoms, with one transition metal ion in a tetrahedral site in the centre. Other metal ions are coordinated to the polyhedral faces. Three of the complexes have the ε Keggin ion geometry, while the fourth is a δ isomer.     

CD spectra of polynuclear complexes of diimine ligands: theoretical and experimental evidence for the importance of internuclear exciton coupling

We have recently reported on dinuclear complexes Lambda,Lambda-[Co(2)L(2)Cl(2)]CoCl(4) of two novel chiral ligands (1a and 1b) which contain pyridyl-imine chelate groups (Telfer, S. G.; Sato, T.; Kuroda, R. Chem. Commun. 2003, 1064-1065). The absolute configuration of the cobalt(II) centers was unambiguously assigned by X-ray crystallography. However, the sign of the exciton couplets in their CD spectra was opposite to that expected on the basis of the stereochemistry of the metal centers. We present a rationalization of these anomalous spectra in terms of an "internuclear" exciton coupling model which takes into account the coupling of chromophores located on different metal centers. We have performed a series of semiempirical (ZINDO) calculations which provide quantitative support to this model. These findings show that the absolute configuration of the metal centers in a polynuclear complex may be incorrectly assigned on the basis of CD data if internuclear coupling effects are not taken into consideration. We summarize the CD spectral data of number of other chiral polynuclear complexes from the literature, including dinuclear complexes bridged by the 2,2'-bipyrimidine ligand, complexes of the HAT ligand, and dinuclear triple-stranded helicates. The amplitude of the CD spectra of many of these complexes is not additive with the number of chromophores. These anomalous spectra can be accounted for by taking internuclear coupling effects into consideration.     

Helicates, boxes, and polymers from simple pyridine-alcohol ligands: the impact of the identity of the transition metal ion

The coordination chemistry of 6-methylpyridine-2-methanol (1) and enantiopure (R)-1-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)ethanol (2) with a range of divalent first-row transition metal salts has been investigated in an effort to determine whether hydrogen-bonded helicates will form, as observed for cobalt(II) salts. Hydrogen-bonded helicates, [Cu2(1)2(1-H)2X2] (X = Cl, Br), were only observed upon combining 1 with CuCl2 and CuBr2 in MeOH solution. Other metal salts led to alternative products, viz. Cu(ClO4)2 in the presence of base gives [Cu2(1)2(1-H)2](ClO4)2, ZnCl2 and ZnBr2 give the 1-D helical coordination polymers [Zn(1-H)Cl]infinity and [Zn(1-H)Br]infinity, a mixture of NiCl2 and Ni(OAc)2 produces the [Ni4(1-H)4Cl2(OAc)2(MeOH)2] cubane, NiCl2 leads to the [Ni4(1-H)4Cl4(MeOH)4] cubane, while MnCl2 gives the known cubane [Mn4(1-H)6Cl4]. The reaction of 2 with CuCl2 produces the mononuclear complex Lambda-[Cu(2)2Cl]Cl, while reaction with CuBr2 leads to a dimer, Lambda,Lambda-[Cu2(2)3(2-H)Br2]Br, which is held together by a single hydrogen bond between the monomeric subunits. The solid-state CD spectra of these latter complexes were recorded and found to be very similar. The temperature-dependent magnetic behavior of [Cu2(1)2(1-H)2X2] (X = Cl, Br), [Cu2(1)2(1-H)2](ClO4)2, [Cu2(2)3(2-H)Br2]Br, and [Ni4(1-H)4Cl2(OAc)2(MeOH)2] was investigated. Weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the copper(II) centers is mediated by the hydrogen bonds in the [Cu2(1)2(1-H)2X2] (X = Cl, Br) complexes.     

Metallotectons: using enantiopure tris(dipyrrinato)cobalt(III) complexes to build chiral molecular materials

Resolution of a tricarboxylic acid derived from a chiral tris(dipyrrinato)cobalt(III) complex provides a series of enantiopure metallotectons that crystallise as porous hydrogen-bonded networks.