Accurate binding of porous aluminum molecular ring catalysts with the substrate.

Metal molecular rings are a class of compounds with aesthetically pleasing symmetry and fundamentally useful properties. The reported work generally focuses on the ring center cavity, and there is little known about those on the ring waist. Herein, we report the discovery of porous aluminum molecular rings and their performance and contribution to the cyanosilylation reaction. We develop a facile ligand induced aggregation and solvent regulation strategy towards AlOC-58NC and AlOC-59NT with high purity, high yield (75% and 70%, respectively) and gram-level scale-up. These molecular rings exhibit a "two-tier" pore feature involving the general central cavity and newly observed equatorial semi-open cavities. AlOC-59NT with two types of one-dimensional channels showed good catalytic activity. The interaction of the aluminum molecular ring catalyst with the substrate has been crystallographically characterized and theoretically confirmed, showing a ring adaptability process that involves the capture and binding of the substrate. This work provides new ideas for the assembly of porous metal molecular rings and to understand the overall reaction pathway involving aldehydes and is expected to inspire the design of low-cost catalysts through structural modifications.

Water-Soluble and Ultrastable Ti4L6 Tetrahedron with Coordination Assembly Function.

We have successfully constructed a tetrahedral Ti4L6 cage with calixarene-like coordination-active vertices. It further features high solubility and stability in H2O and DMF/H2O solution, affording an interesting stepwise assembly function with other metal ions. Through trapping of different amounts of Co or Ln ions, the Ti4L6 tetrahedra can be organized into various dimensional architectures, including a Ti4L6-Co3 cage, a Ti4L6-Ln2 cage, a Ti4L6-Ln2 chain, and a three-dimensional Ti4L6-Ln framework. An unusual mixed-valence phenomenon was observed in the Ti4L6 cage, whose Ti3+/4+ compositions were adequately identified by electron spin resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. More remarkably, the calixarene-like oxygen vertices of the Ti4L6 cage can also be used for the recognition of C3-symmetric dye molecules through N-H···O hydrogen bonding. Accordingly, driven by visible light, selective and efficient homogeneous photodecomposition of acid blue 93 and alkali blue 4B were successfully achieved. Therefore, this work not only represents a milestone in constructing symmetric Ti-based cages with interesting coordination assembly function but also provides a new method for preparing technologically important soluble photoactive cages.

Using alkaline-earth metal ions to tune structural variations of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate coordination polymers.

Alkaline-earth metal ions were used to tune four new heterometallic frameworks, {[Cd(2.07)Mg(0.93)(BTC)(2)(H(2)O)(4)]·2H(2)O}(n) (1), {[Cd(2)Ca(BTC)(2)(H(2)O)(4)]·2H(2)O}(n) (2), {[Cd(2)Sr(BTC)(2)(H(2)O)(5)]·H(2)O}(n) (3) and [Cd(6)Ba(3)(BTC)(3)(H(2)O)(10)](n) (4) (H(3)BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid), synthesized from H(3)BTC and the corresponding metal salts. Single-crystal X-ray analysis shows that compound 1 is a three-dimensional (3D) framework based on heterometallic Cd-O-Cd-O-Mg inorganic chain subunits, compounds 2 and 3 are basically isostructural and feature a 3D framework based on Ca(II) or Sr(II) polyhedrons decorated with Cd-O-Cd inorganic chains. Compound 4 is a 3D framework templated by disordered inorganic hydrate Ba(II) ions, and also features inorganic Cd-O-Cd chains, which are connected together through corner sharing with the {Cd(1)O(6)} polyhedrons by {Ba(1)O(6)} polyhedrons, giving rise to a rare heterometallic 3D inorganic skeleton. Moreover, the solid-state fluorescence of compounds 1-4 and NLO properties of compounds 2-4 have also been investigated at room temperature.

Lanthanide antimony oxohalides: from discrete nanoclusters to inorganic-organic hybrid chains and layers.

Structures à la carte: the combination of lone pairs and halide ions yields a praseodymium antimony oxohalide nanocluster [Pr(4)Sb(12)O(18)Cl(17)](5-) with nearly perfect T(d) symmetry. Inorganic-organic hybrid compounds with 1D chain structure and 2D wave layer structure were assembled using dicarboxylic ligands with angular or linear geometry to interconnect the nanoclusters as secondary building units.

Multifunctional homochiral lanthanide camphorates with mixed achiral terephthalate ligands.

Seven homochiral lanthanide camphorates with mixed achiral terephthalate ligands, namely, {Ln(2)(cam)(2)(bdc)(H(2)O)(2)}·DMF [Ln = Sm (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Tb (4), Dy (5), Ho (6), Er (7); d-H(2)cam = d-(+)-camphoric acid; H(2)bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid; DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide], have been solvothermally synthesized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that compounds 1-7 are isostructural and crystallize in orthorhombic, chiral space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). These structures feature three-dimensional open frameworks based on rodlike [Ln(2)(OCO)(6)(H(2)O)(2)](n) secondary building units, with the guest DMF molecules occupying the void space of the host {Ln(2)(cam)(3)(bdc)(H(2)O)(2)} framework. The photophysical and magnetic properties of some of these complexes have been investigated. Notably, the terbium compound 4 is highly emissive with a quantum yield of 63.68%. Additionally, thermogravimetric analyses, variable-temperature IR spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction of 2 as a representative were performed to determine its thermal stability, which indicates that the framework still remains intact until 300 °C.

A sensitive phosphorescent thiol chemosensor based on an iridium(III) complex with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone functionalized 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand.

An iridium(III)-containing phosphorescent chemosensor Ir(ppy)(2)(L)(PF(6)) (1, ppy = 2-phenylpyridine) containing a 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand (L) functionalized with an alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone for selective detection of thiol was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and photophysical measurements. The structure of complex 1 was determined by X-ray crystallography. In order to get an insight into 1,4-addition reactions of thiol to complex 1, the adduct 2 from reaction of 1 with benzenethiol was successfully prepared and characterized. Complex 1 shows a lowest energy absorption at ca. 450 nm, primarily ascribable to an intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) transition from the HOMO (pi) resident on the fragment -C(O)C(6)H(4)N(C(2)H(5))(2) to the LUMO (pi*) localized on the 2,2'-bipyridyl moiety in the functionalized 2,2'-bipyridyl ligand as suggested from DFT computational studies. Complex 1 is weakly emissive at ca. 587 nm at ambient temperature, arising likely from the (3)ILCT excited state. Upon addition of thiol to a semi-aqueous solution of complex 1, the lowest energy absorption is obviously blue-shifted and the emission is remarkably enhanced due probably to a conversion from the primary ILCT state to the predominant [pi(ppy)-->pi*(L)] LLCT and the [5d(Ir)-->pi*(L)] MLCT state caused by the formation of the 1-thiol adduct. The sensing properties of 1 to thiol were also investigated by ESI-MS spectrometry and (1)H NMR spectroscopy.

A series of new manganese(II) sulfonate-arsonates with 2D layer, 1D chain, and 0D clusters structures.

Hydrothermal reactions of manganese(II) salts with o-sulfophenylarsonic acid (o-HO(3)S-C(6)H(4)-AsO(3)H(2), H(3)L) afforded Mn(3)(L)(2)(H(2)O)(3).H(2)O (1) with a layered structure. When 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), and 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (terpy) were used as auxiliary chelating ligands, a series of mixed-ligand manganese(II) sulfonate-arsonates with lower dimensional structures, namely, [Mn(HL)(phen)(2)](2).8.5H(2)O (2), Mn(HL)(phen)(2)(H(2)O).2H(2)O (3), [Mn(HL)(bipy)(2)][Mn(H(2)L)(bipy)(2)](ClO(4)).3H(2)O (4), [Mn(HL)(phen)][Mn(HL)(phen)(H(2)O)] (5), [Mn(2)(HL)(phen)(4)(H(2)O)](ClO(4))(2).4H(2)O (6), [Mn(2)(HL)(phen)(4)(H(2)O)](ClO(4))(2).H(2)O (7), Mn(2)(HL)(2)(bipy)(3)(H(2)O).H(2)O (8), [Mn(HL)(terpy)](2) (9), Mn(7)(OH)(2)(L)(4)(phen)(8).10H(2)O.phen (10), and Mn(HL)(bipy)(H(2)O).2H(2)O (11) have been obtained. 2-4 are mononuclear (4 contains two different mononuclear cluster units) whereas 5-9 feature three types of isolated dinuclear cluster units in which the two Mn(2+) ions are bridged by one or two sulfonate-arsonate ligands. 10 exhibits an interesting heptanuclear cluster in which the Mn(2+) centers are bridged by arsonate, sulfonate groups and hydroxyl anions. 11 features a one-dimensional (1D) chain in which two neighboring Mn(2+) centers are bridged by an arsonate group of a sulfonate-arsonate ligand. Magnetic measurements indicate that 1 exhibits an unprecedented spin topology and behaves as a homospin ferrimagnet whereas 2-4 are essentially paramagnetic. 5-9 and 11 are weakly antiferromagnetic.

Temperature-controlled syntheses of substituted 1,2,4-triazolelead(II) complexes: active lone pair and N-H...X (X = Cl, Br, I) hydrogen bonds.

Three isomorphous lead(II) complexes with a new {N(3)SX}-coordinated (X = Cl, Br, I) mode have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The structural analyses reveal that the coordination environment around the center metal is distinctly influenced by the stereochemical 6s(2) lone pair and N-H...X hydrogen bonds. Additionally, doubly deprotonated trzS(2-) (HtrzSH = 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) generated in situ via deamination and dehydrazination of ahtrzS(-) (ahtrzSH = 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole) was first observed in a semiconducting three-dimensional coordination network at higher reaction temperature.

Synthesis, structure, and luminescent properties of hybrid inorganic-organic framework materials formed by lead aromatic carboxylates: inorganic connectivity variation from 0D to 3D.

The hydro(solvo)thermal reactions of Pb(OAc)(2).3H(2)O with the aromatic carboxylic ligands 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic and 1,4-, 1,2-, and 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acids (1,3,5-H(3)BTC; 1,4-, 1,2-, and 1,3-H(2)BDC) have yielded a family of inorganic-organic framework materials: [Pb(2)(1,3,5-BTC)(mu(3)-OH)(H(2)O)](n) (Iota), [NaPb(1,3,5-BTC)(H(2)O)](n) (IotaIota), [Pb(1,4-BDC)](n) (IotaIotaIota), [Pb(5)(1,2-BDC)(4)(OAc)(2)](n) (IV), and {[Pb(5)(1,3-BDC)(5)(H(2)O)(2)](2).H(2)O}(n) (V). These complexes have been characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry, and photoluminescence spectra. They are all three-dimensional structures except for two-dimensional IV. Topology analysis reveals that complexes I an V represent rare (4,8)-connected flu and (3,4)-connected zeolite-like nets, respectively. The five complexes exhibit diverse inorganic connectivity, including a 0D Pb(4)O(16) cluster for I, a 1D Pb-O-Pb chain for II, a 2D Pb-O-Pb network for III and IV, and an unprecedented 3D Pb-O-Pb framework for V. And the diversity in inorganic arrays leads to differences in luminescent properties of these complexes.

New types of 3D organically templated Zn2+/Cd2+-Cu+ mixed metal sulfites.

Two types of new organically templated mixed-metal sulfites, namely, [H(2)pip][NaZn(2)Cu(SO(3))(4)] (1) and [H(2)pip][CdCu(4)(SO(3))(4)] (2) (pip = piperazine), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized. Both compounds exhibit a novel 3D mixed-metal inorganic framework with organic template molecules occupying the tunnels of the inorganic skeleton. Compound 1 features a 2D Zn(2)Cu(SO(3))(4)(3-) layer parallel to the ac plane in which the 1D chains of Zn(SO(3))(2)(2-) anions along the c axis are interconnected with the Cu(+) ions via Cu-S bonds. Neighboring Zn(2)Cu(SO(3))(4)(3-) layers are further interconnected by bridging Na(+) ions via Na-O-S bonds into a 3D network, forming 1D tunnels along the a axis which are occupied by the doubly protonated piperazine cations. Compounds 2 features a novel 3D inorganic framework of CdCu(4)(SO(3))(4)(2-) with 2D layers based on Cu(4)(SO(3))(4)(4-) cubanelike clusters. The cluster layers are further interconnected by Cd(II) ions, forming 1D tunnels of eight-membered rings along the c axis in which the piperazine template cations are located. Luminescent property measurements as well as band structure calculations based on density functional theory methods were also made.

Breaking the mirror: pH-controlled chirality generation from a meso ligand to a racemic ligand.

To study the conversion from a meso form to a racemic form of tetrahydrofurantetracarboxylic acid (H(4)L), seven novel coordination polymers were synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of Zn(NO(3))(2)6 H(2)O with (2S,3S,4R,5R)-H(4)L in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bpy), or 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bpy): [Zn(2){(2S,3S,4R,5R)-L}(phen)(2)(H(2)O)]2 H(2)O (1), [Zn(4){(2S,3R,4R,5R)-L}{(2S,3S,4S,5R)-L}(phen)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (2), [Zn(2){(2S,3S,4R,5R)-L}(H(2)O)(2)]H(2)O (3), [Zn(4){(2S,3R,4R,5R)-L}{(2S,3S,4S,5R)-L} (2,2'-bpy)(2)(H(2)O)(2)]2 H(2)O (4), [Zn(2) {(2S,3S,4R,5R)-L}(2,2'-bpy)(H(2)O)] (5), [Zn(4){(2S,3R,4R,5R)-L}{(2S,3S,4S,5R)-L} (4,4'-bpy)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (6), and [Zn(2) {(2S,3S,4R,5R)-L}(4,4'-bpy)(H(2)O)] 2 H(2)O (7). These complexes were obtained by control of the pH values of reaction mixtures, with an initial of pH 2.0 for 1, 2.5 for 2, 4, and 6, and 4.5 for 3, 5, and 7, respectively. The expected configuration conversion has been successfully realized during the formation of 2, 4, and 6, and the enantiomers of L, (2S,3R,4R,5R)-L and (2S,3S,4S,5R)-L, are trapped in them, whereas L ligands in the other four complexes retain the original meso form, which indicates that such a conversion is possibly pH controlled. Acid-catalyzed enol-keto tautomerism has been introduced to explain the mechanism of this conversion. Complex 1 features a simple 1D metal-L chain that is extended into a 3D supramolecular structure by pi-pi packing interactions between phen ligands and hydrogen bonds. Complex 2 has 2D racemic layers that consist of centrosymmetric bimetallic units, and a final 3D supramolecular framework is formed by the interlinking of these layers through pi-pi packing interactions of phen. Complex 3 is a 3D metal-organic framework (MOF) involving meso-L ligands, which can be regarded as (4,6)-connected nets with vertex symbol (4(5).6)(4(7).6(8)). Complexes 4 and 5 contain 2D racemic layers and (6,3)-honeycomb layers, respectively, both of which are combined into 3D supramolecular structures through pi-pi packing interactions of 2,2'-bpy. The structure of complex 6 is a 2D network formed by 4,4'-bpy bridging 1D tubes, which consist of metal atoms and enantiomers of L. These layers are connected through hydrogen bonds to give the final 3D porous supramolecular framework of 6. Complex 7 is a 3D MOF with novel (3,4,5)-connected (6(3))(4(2).6(4))(4(2).6(6).8(2)) topology. The thermal stability of these compounds was also investigated.

Explorations of new phases in the Ga(III)/In(III)-Cu(II)-Se(IV)-O system.

Four new gallium(III)/indium(III), copper(II), selenium(IV) oxides, namely, Ga(2)Cu(SeO(3))(4) (1), Ga(2)CuO(SeO(3))(3) (2), and M(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (M = Ga 3, In 4), have been synthesized by hydrothermal or high-temperature solid-state reactions. The structure of Ga(2)Cu(SeO(3))(4) (1) features a 2D layer of corner-sharing GaO(6) and CuO(6) octahedra with the SeO(3) groups hanging on both sides of the 2D layer. Ga(2)CuO(SeO(3))(3) (2) features a pillared layered structure in which the 1D Cu(SeO(3))(3)(4-) chains act as the pillars between 2D layers formed by corner- and edge-sharing GaO(n) (n = 4, 5) polyhedra. Although the chemical compositions of M(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (M = Ga 3, In 4) are comparable, they belong to two different structural types. Ga(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (3) exhibits a pillared layered structure built by [Ga(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(4)](4+) thick layers with Se(3)O(3)(2-) groups as pillars. The structure of In(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (4) features a 3D network composed of [In(2)(SeO(3))(2)](2+) layers and [Cu(3)(SeO(3))(4)](2-) layers interconnected through Se-O-Cu and In-O-Cu bridges, exhibiting 8-MR helical tunnels along the a-axis. Results of magnetic property measurements indicate that there are considerable antiferromagnetic interactions between copper(II) centers in Ga(2)CuO(SeO(3))(3) (2) and M(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (M = Ga 3, In 4). Interestingly, Ga(2)Cu(3)(SeO(3))(6) (3) behaves as a weak ferromagnet below the critical temperature of T(c) = 15 K. Further magnetic studies indicate that the compound is a canted antiferromagnet with a large canting angle of about 7.1 degrees.

Topology analysis and nonlinear-optical-active properties of luminescent metal-organic framework materials based on zinc/lead isophthalates.

Two 3D Zn(II) and Pb(II) isophthalates, [Zn(ip)]n (1) and [Pb4(mu4-O)(ip)3(H2O)]n (2) (H2ip = isophthalic acid), have been prepared under hydro(solvo)thermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The two complexes crystallize in different space groups (P4(3)2(1)2 for 1 and P2(1)/c for 2) and have different bridging modes of the ip ligand. The 3D framework of 1 is constructed by the interconnection of ZnO4 polyhedra via ip ligands, which represents a chiral net with PtS-type topology. In contrast, complex 2 is formed by the combination of Pb4O-cluster secondary building units and has a novel (3.4.5)(3(2).4(5).5(6).6(7).7(2)) topology, which is the first ever example of a (3,7)-connected net. Complex 1 displays a second harmonic generation efficiency of about 1.5 times that of KH2PO4. Optical properties and thermal stabilities of the two complexes have been studied. Additionally, the calculations of band structure and density of states of 1 have also been performed with the density functional theory method.