Metallacycles of porphyrins as building blocks in the construction of higher order assemblies through axial coordination of bridging ligands: solution- and solid-state characterization of molecular sandwiches and molecular wires

Treatment of the octahedral Ru(II)-dimethyl sulfoxide complexes trans-RuCl(2)(dmso-S)(4) (1), trans-RuCl(2)(dmso-O)(2)(CO)(2) (2), and trans-RuCl(2)(dmso)(3)(CO) (3) with a stoichiometric amount of 5,10-bis(4'-pyridyl)-15,20-diphenylporphyrin (4'-cis-DPyP) yields, after chromatographic purification, the novel 2+2 molecular squares of formula trans,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(dmso-S)(2)(4'-cis-DPyP)](2) (4), trans,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(CO)(2)(4'-cis-DPyP)](2) (5), and trans,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(dmso-S)(CO)(4'-cis-DPyP)](2) (6), respectively. Compound 6 exists as an equimolar mixture of the isomeric metallacycles 6a and 6b, depending on whether the 4'-N(py) rings of 4'-cis-DPyP's are trans to CO or to dmso-S. Compounds 4-6 were fully characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and by FAB mass spectrometry. Treatment of 5 with excess zinc acetate in chloroform/methanol mixtures led to the isolation of the corresponding zinc adduct trans,cis,cis-RuCl(2)(CO)(2)(Zn x 4'-cis-DPyP)](2) (5Zn). Treatment of 5Zn with 1 equiv of a trans ditopic N-donor ligand L (L = 4,4'-bipy, 5,15-bis(4'-pyridyl)-2,8,12,18-tetra-n-propyl-3,7,13,17-tetramethylporphyrin (4'-trans-DPyP-npm), or 5,15-bis(4'-pyridyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin (4'-trans-DPyP)) leads readily and selectively, according to (1)H NMR spectroscopy, to the quantitative assembling of 2:2 supramolecular adducts of stacked metallacycles of formula (5Zn)(2)(mu-L)(2)] (7-9), which were thoroughly characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy. NMR features indicate that, at ambient temperature, the equilibrium between 5Zn and L to yield (5Zn)(2)(mu-L)(2)] has an intermediate to slow rate on the NMR time scale (relatively broad signals for L) and is totally shifted toward the 2:2 product (all or nothing process). Single-crystal X-ray investigations showed that, depending on the nature of the bridging ligand, in the solid state these sandwich structures can either be maintained or originate polymeric chains formulated as (5Zn)(mu-L)](infinity). When L = 4'-trans-DPyP, both solution- and solid-state data indicate that (5Zn)(2)(mu-4'-trans-DPyP)(2)] (9) is a discrete supramolecular assembly of two molecular squares of metalloporphyrins axially connected through other porphyrins. In this molecular box, the two bridging porphyrins are coplanar at a distance of about 11.4 A. When L = 4,4'-bipy, the corresponding adduct 7 has the anticipated sandwich-like discrete architecture (5Zn)(2)(mu-4,4'-bipy)(2)] in solution, but it assumes a stair-like polymeric wire structure in the solid state. The polymer (5Zn)(mu-4,4'-bipy)](infinity) is made by 5Zn squares bridged by 4,4'-bipy ligands which are axially coordinated alternatively on the two opposite sides of each square. Our work clearly established that relatively simple supramolecular adducts of porphyrins, such as molecular squares, are suitable building blocks for the construction of more elaborate assemblies of higher order by axial coordination of bridging ligands.