A Redox‐Active Bridging Ligand to Promote Spin Delocalization,High‐Spin Complexes,and Magnetic Multi‐Switchability

A dinuclear Co^II complex, [Co₂(tphz)(tpy)₂]ⁿ⁺ (n=4, 3 or 2; tphz: tetrapyridophenazine; tpy: terpyridine), has been assembled using the redox‐active and strongly complexing tphz bridging ligand. The magnetic properties of this complex can be tuned from spin‐crossover with T_1/2≈470 K for the pristine compound (n=4) to single‐molecule magnet with an S_T=5/2 spin ground state when once reduced (n=3) to finally a diamagnetic species when twice reduced (n=2). The two successive and reversible reductions are concomitant with an increase of the spin delocalization within the complex, promoting remarkably large magnetic exchange couplings and high‐spin species even at room temperature.     

Cu(II) coordination polymers incorporating 3-aminopyridine and flexible aliphatic dicarboxylate ligands: Synthesis,structure and magnetic properties

The synthesis, structural chemistry and magnetic properties of a series of new Cu(II) polymers with α,ω-dicarboxylic acids (sebacic (H₂seb), suberic (H₂sub), succinic (H₂suc) and adipic (H₂adip)) and 3-aminopyridine (3-apy) are described: [Cu(Hsub)₂(3-apy)₂·2CH₃OH]_n (1); [Cu(Hseb)₂(3-apy)₂·4CH₃OH]_n (2); [Cu(Hsuc)₂(3-apy)₂]_n (3); [Cu(adip)(3-apy)₂]_n·n(H₂adip) (4). All four compounds feature a bis-monodentate bridging mode of the coordinated dicarboxylate moiety. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit linear chains, whereas compound 3 shows two-dimensional structure. The 3-apy ligand acts as terminal ligand in 1–3. Compound 4 contains a doubly deprotonated adipate (adip²⁻) that connects Cu centers into linear chains. Additionally, 3-apy acts as a bridge in 4, resulting in the formation of parallel two-dimensional layers distant enough to host neutral molecules of adipic acid. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of compounds 1 and 3 show Curie law behavior indicating that the S = 1/2 Cu(II) spin carriers are magnetically well isolated by the dicarboxylate ligands.     

Size dependence of the folding of multiply charged sodium cationized polylactides revealed by ion mobility mass spectrometry and molecular modelling

Ion mobility spectrometry coupled with mass spectrometry was used to experimentally determine the three-dimensional structure of multiply charged sodium cationized polylactides (PLA). In particular, the experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of the charge state and the size on the gas-phase conformation of cationized PLA. The measured collision cross sections were then compared to calculated values obtained by computational chemistry methods. The most striking feature was the experimental and theoretical observation of a breaking point in the quasilinear relationship between the average collision cross sections and the number of monomer units for the triply charged cations. This breaking point was theoretically demonstrated, for the doubly and triply charged cations, to be associated with a significant folding of the polymer chains around the cationizing agents. The occurrence of such breaking points could be exploited to correlate the charge state of the most intense ion series observed upon electrospray ionization with the number-average molecular mass of a polymer.     

MnIII2 (5-Rsaltmen)2NiII(pao)2(L)]2+: an S(T)=3 building block for a single-chain magnet that behaves as a single-molecule magnet

Mn(III)-Ni(II)-Mn(III) linear-type trinuclear complexes bridged by oximate groups were selectively synthesized by the assembly reaction of [Mn2(5-Rsaltmen)2(H2O)2](ClO4)2 (5-Rsaltmen2-=N,N'-(1,1,2,2-tetramethylethylene) bis(5-R-salicylideneiminate); R=Cl, Br) with [Ni(pao)2(phen)] (pao-=pyridine-2-aldoximate; phen=1,10-phenanthroline) in methanol/water: [Mn2(5-Rsaltmen)2Ni(pao)2(phen)](ClO4)2 (R=Cl, 1; R=Br, 2). Structural analysis revealed that the [Mn(III)-ON-Ni(II)-NO-Mn(III)] skeleton of these trimers is in every respect similar to the repeating unit found in the previously reported series of 1D materials [Mn2(saltmen)2Ni(pao)2(L1)2](A)(2) (L(1)=pyridine, 4-picoline, 4-tert-butylpyridine, N-methylimidazole; A=ClO4-, BF4-, PF6-, ReO4-). Recently, these 1D compounds have attracted a great deal of attention for their magnetic properties, since they exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization (also called single-chain magnet (SCM) behavior). This unique magnetic behavior was explained in the framework of Glauber's theory, generalized for chains of ferromagnetically coupled anisotropic spins. Thus, in these 1D compounds, the [Mn(III)-ON-Ni(II)-NO-Mn(III)] unit was considered as an S(T)=3 anisotropic spin. Direct-current magnetic measurements on 1 and 2 confirm their S(T)=3 ground state and strong uniaxial anisotropy (D/k(B) approximately -2.4 K), in excellent agreement with the magnetic characteristic deduced in the study on the SCM series. The ac magnetic susceptibility of these trimers is strongly frequency-dependent and characteristic of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior. The relaxation time tau shows a thermally activated (Arrhenius) behavior with tau0 approximately 1x10(-7) s and Delta(eff)/k(B) approximately 18 K. The effective energy barrier for reversal of the magnetization Delta(eff) is consistent with the theoretical value (21 K) estimated from |D| S2T. The present results reinforce consistently the interpretation of the SCM behavior observed in the [Mn2(saltmen)2Ni(pao)2(L1)2](A)2 series and opens new perspectives to design single-chain magnets.     

Functionalization of Organic Molecules by Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed C(sp3)?H Activation

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed C? H activation has recently emerged as a powerful tool for the functionalization of organic molecules. While many efforts have focused on the functionalization of arenes and heteroarenes by this strategy in the past two decades, much less research has been devoted to the activation of non‐acidic C? H bonds of alkyl groups. This Minireview highlights recent work in this area, with a particular emphasis on synthetically useful methods.     

Dimensionality switching through a thermally induced reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition in a cyanide complex

The heterometallic hexanuclear cyanide-bridged complex {[Mn(bpym)(H(2)O)](2)[Fe(HB(pz)(3))(CN)(3)](4)} (1), its C(15)N and D(2)O enriched forms {[Mn(bpym)(H(2)O)](2)[Fe(HB(pz)(3))(C(15)N)(3)](4)} (2) and {[Mn(bpym)(D(2)O)](2)[Fe(HB(pz)(3))(CN)(3)](4)} (3), and the hexanuclear derivative complex {[Mn(bpym)(H(2)O)](2)[Fe(B(pz)(4))(CN)(3)](4)}·4H(2)O (4) [bpym = 2,2'-bipyrimidine, HB(pz)(3)(-) = hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate, B(pz)(4)(-) = tetra(1-pyrazolyl)borate] have been synthesized. Their structures have been determined through single-crystal X-ray crystallography at different temperatures. Whereas 3 and 4 maintain a discrete hexanuclear motif during the entire temperature range investigated (down to 95 K), 1 and 2 exhibit a thermally induced reversible single-crystal to single-crystal phase transition driven by a remarkable concerted rearrangement of hydrogen and cyanide coordination bonds. While hexanuclear complexes are observed in the high temperature phases (noted 1a and 2a) above 200 K, the low temperature phases are composed of one-dimensional coordination polymers noted 1b and 2b. The magnetic properties of the four compounds have been investigated in the 2-300 K range, and they reveal the occurrence of an overall antiferromagnetic behavior. The thermal dependence of the optical reflectivity and the FT-IR absorbance have been studied for 1 in the range 10-300 K and 130-300 K, respectively. A comparative analysis of the structural and electronic properties for 1-4 clearly underlines the major role of the intermolecular interactions in the topological and dimensional rearrangement observed during the structural phase transition. This result opens new perspectives in the design of cyanide-based switchable magnetic materials using coordination bonds rearrangements.     

Coordination networks from Cu cations and tetrakis(methylthio)benzenedicarboxylic acid: tunable bonding patterns and selective sensing for NH(3) gas

This paper aims to illustrate the rich potential of the thioether-carboxyl combination in generating coordination networks with tunable and interesting structural features. By simply varying the ratio between Cu(NO(3))(2) and the bifunctional ligand tetrakis(methylthio)benzenedicarboxylic acid (TMBD) as the reactants, three coordination networks can be hydrothermally synthesized in substantial yields, which present a distinct evolution with regard to metal-ligand interactions. Specifically, Cu(TMBD)(0.5)(H(2)TMBD)(0.5)·H(2)TMBD (1) was obtained with a relatively small (1:1) Cu(NO(3))(2)/TMBD ratio, and crystallizes as an one-dimensional (1D) coordination assembly based on Cu(I)-thioether interactions, which is integrated by hydrogen-bonding to additional H(2)TMBD molecules to form a three-dimensional (3D) composite network with all the carboxylic acid and carboxylate groups remaining uncoordinated to the metal ions. A medium (1.25:1) Cu(NO(3))(2)/TMBD ratio leads to compound Cu(2)TMBD, in which Cu(I) ions simultaneously bond to the carboxylate and thioether groups, while an even higher (2.4:1) Cu(NO(3))(2)/TMBD ratio produced a mixed-cation compound Cu(II)(2)OHCu(I)(TMBD)(2)·2H(2)O (2), in which the carboxylic groups are bonded to (cupric) Cu(II) ions, and the thioether groups to Cu(I). Despite the lack of open channels in 2, crystallites of this compound exhibit a distinct and selective absorption of NH(3), with a concomitant color change from green to blue, indicating substantial network flexibility and dynamics with regards to gas transport.