Solvent-Free Green Synthesis of Azines and Their Conversion to 2,5-Disubstituted-1,3,4-thiadiazoles

A solvent-free, clean, and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted-1,3,4-thiadiazoles via azines. This approach exploits the synthetic potential of clean reactions and offers many advantages such as excellent product yields, easy isolation of products, and ecofriendly benign reaction conditions. The newly synthesized compounds were analyzed by infrared, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and elemental analysis.     

Crystal engineering of primary cubanecarboxamides: Repetitive formation of an unexpected N-H...O hydrogen-bonded network

The unusual N-H.O hydrogen bond pattern in a family of primary cubanecarboxamides is described. 4-Chloro-1-cubanecarboxamide, 1, and the corresponding bromo and iodo derivatives, 2 and 3, form the "shallow-glide" hydrogen-bonded motif instead of the usual 5.1 A translated ribbon pattern, more characteristic of primary amides. This behavior is also seen, somewhat unexpectedly, for cubanecarboxamide, 4, but more or less unsurprisingly for 1,4-cubanedicarboxamide, 5. This repetitive occurrence of the same hydrogen bond pattern is of significance in crystal engineering wherein synthon robustness is measured in terms of such repetitivity. The cubyl group is directly responsible for the appearance of the shallow-glide motif in this family in preference to the 5.1 A translation pattern for two reasons: (1) steric--it is too large to fit in a 5.1 A translated structure and (2) electronic--its carbon acidity is sufficient to result in the appearance of C-H.O hydrogen bonds to the C=O group, disrupting any putative 5.1 A translated structure. Such a molecule --> supermolecule relationship is of value in crystal engineering strategies.     

Oblate versus Prolate Electron Density of Lanthanide Ions: A Design Criterion for Engineering Toroidal Moments? A Case Study on {LnIII6} (Ln=Tb,Dy, Ho and Er) Wheels

We report four new complexes based on a {Ln^III₆} wheel structure, three of which possess a net toroidal magnetic moment. The four examples consist of {Tb^III₆} and {Ho^III₆} wheels, which are rare examples of non Dy^III based complexes possessing a toroidal magnetic ground state, and a {Dy^III₆} complex which improves its toroidal structure upon lowering the crystallographic symmetry from trigonal (R ) to triclinic (P ). Notably the toroidal moment is lost for the trigonal {Er^III₆} analogue. This suggests the possibility of utilizing the popular concept of oblate and prolate electron density of the ground state M_J levels of lanthanide ions to engineer toroidal moments.     

Amphiphilic behavior of an apparently non-polar calixarene

The self-assembly properties of a non-polar calixarene have been investigated at the air-water interface, in water and in the solid state showing that this molecule behaves as an amphiphilic molecule.     

Slow Magnetic Relaxation and Single‐Molecule Toroidal Behaviour in a Family of Heptanuclear {CrIIILnIII6} (Ln=Tb,Ho, Er) Complexes

The synthesis, magnetic properties, and theoretical studies of three heterometallic {Cr^IIILn^III₆} (Ln=Tb, Ho, Er) complexes, each containing a metal topology consisting of two Ln₃ triangles connected via a Cr^III linker, are reported. The {CrTb₆} and {CrEr₆} analogues display slow relaxation of magnetization in a 3000 Oe static magnetic field. Single‐crystal measurements reveal opening up of the hysteresis loop for {CrTb₆} and {CrHo₆} molecules at low temperatures. Ab initio calculations predict toroidal magnetic moments in the two Ln₃ triangles, which are found to couple, stabilizing a con‐rotating ferrotoroidal ground state in Tb and Ho examples and extend the possibility of observing toroidal behaviour in non Dy^III complexes for the first time.     

Crystal Structures and Packing of 4-Cyanocubanecarboxylic Acid,Its Methyl Ester,and the Solid Solution of 1,4-Dicyanocubane and 1,4-Dibromocubane

The crystal structure of 4-cyanocubanecarboxylic acid contains the same syn–anti carboxyl group catemer that is found in other cubane monocarboxylic acids. The cyano groups are arranged according to the type-II geometry, in that they are 2₁ screw-axis related. Curiously, there is a 5% orientational disorder of the cyano and anti carboxyl groups. The ester of the title acid packs isostructurally with the corresponding chloro and fluoro analogs because of the importance of the C—H...O hydrogen bond patterns. 1,4-Dicyanocubane forms solid solutions with 1,4-dibromocubane, but, interestingly, the crystal structure of the solid solution is distinct from that of either component. The formation of these solid solutions seems to be governed by shape and size factors.     

Large Hexadecametallic {MnIII–LnIII} Wheels: Synthesis,Structural, Magnetic,and Theoretical Characterization

The synthesis, gas sorption studies, magnetic properties, and theoretical studies of new molecular wheels of core type {Mn^III₈Ln^III₈} (Ln=Dy, Ho, Er, Y and Yb), using the ligand mdeaH₂, in the presence of ortho‐toluic or benzoic acid are reported. From the seven wheels studied the {Mn₈Dy₈} and {Mn₈Y₈} analogues exhibit SMM behavior as determined from ac susceptibility experiments in a zero static magnetic field. From DFT calculations a S=16 ground state was determined for the {Mn₈Y₈} complex due to weak ferromagnetic Mn^III–Mn^III interactions. Ab initio CASSCF+RASSI‐SO calculations on the {Mn₈Dy₈} wheel estimated the Mn^III–Dy^III exchange interaction as ?0.1 cm^?1. This weak exchange along with unfavorable single‐ion anisotropy of Dy^III/Mn^III ions, however, led to the observation of SMM behavior with fast magnetic relaxation. The orientation of the g‐anisotropy of the Dy^III ions is found to be perpendicular to the plane of the wheel and this suggests the possibility of toroidal magnetic moments in the cluster. The {Mn₈Ln₈} clusters reported here are the largest heterometallic Mn^IIILn^III wheels and the largest {3d–4f} wheels to exhibit SMM behavior reported to date.     

What Controls the Magnetic Exchange Interaction in Mixed‐ and Homo‐Valent Mn7 Disc‐Like Clusters? A Theoretical Perspective

Density functional theory (DFT) studies have been undertaken to compute the magnetic exchange and to probe the origin of the magnetic interactions in two hetero‐ and two homo‐valent heptanuclear manganese disc‐like clusters, of formula [Mn^II₄Mn^IV₃(tea)(teaH₂)₃(peolH)₄] ( 1 ), [Mn^II₄Mn^III₃F₃(tea)(teaH)(teaH₂)₂(piv)₄(Hpiv)(chp)₃] ( 2 ), [Mn^II₇(pppd)₆(tea)(OH)₃] ( 3 ) and [Mn^II₇ (paa)₆(OMe)₆] ( 4 ) (teaH₃=triethanolamine, peolH₄=pentaerythritol, Hpiv=pivalic acid, Hchp=6‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypyridine, pppd=1‐phenyl‐3‐(2‐pyridyl) propane‐1,3‐dione; paaH=N‐(2‐pyridinyl)acetoacetamide). DFT calculations yield J values, which reproduce the magnetic susceptibility data very well for all four complexes; these studies are also highlighting the likely ageing/stability problems in two of the complexes. It is found that the spin ground states, S, for complexes 1 – 4 are drastically different, varying from S=29/2 to S=1/2. These values are found to be controlled by the nature of the oxidation state of the metal ions and minor differences present in the structures. Extensive magneto–structural correlations are developed for the seven building unit dimers present in the complexes, with the correlations unlocking the reasons behind the differences in the magnetic properties observed. Independent of the oxidation state of the metal ions, the Mn‐O‐Mn/Mn‐F‐Mn angles are found to be the key parameters, which significantly influence the sign as well as the magnitude of the J values. The magneto–structural correlations developed here, have broad applicability and can be utilised to understand the magnetic properties of other Mn clusters.