Site-Directed Synthesis of Cobalt Oxide Clusters in a Metal-Organic Framework.

Direct control over structure and location of catalytic species deposited on amorphous supports represents a formidable challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. In contrast, a structurally well-defined, crystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) can be rationally designed using postsynthetic techniques to allow for desired structural or locational changes of deposited metal ions. Herein, naphthalene dicarboxylate linkers are incorporated in the MOF, NU-1000, to block the small cavities where few-atom clusters of cobalt oxide preferentially grow, inducing catalyst deposition toward hitherto ill-favored grafting sites orientated toward NU-1000s mesoporous channels. Despite the different cobalt oxide location, the resulting material is still an active propane oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst at low temperature, reaching a turnover frequency of 0.68 ± 0.05 h-1 at 230 °C and confirming the utility of MOFs as crystalline supports to guide rational design of catalysts.

Structural characterization of two solvates of a luminescent copper(II) bis-(pyridine)-substituted benzimidazole complex.

Copper(II) complexes of benzimidazole are known to exhibit biological activity that makes them of inter-est for chemotherapeutic and other pharmaceutical uses. The complex bis-(acetato-κO){5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-[(pyridin-2-yl)meth-yl]-1H-benzimidazole-κ2N2,N3}copper(II), has been prepared. The absorption spectrum has features attributed to intra-ligand and ligand-field transitions and the complex exhibits ligand-centered room-temperature luminescence in solution. The aceto-nitrile monosolvate, [Cu(C2H3O2)2(C20H18N4)]·C2H3N (1), and the ethanol hemisolvate, [Cu(C2H3O2)2(C20H18N4)]·0.5C2H6O (2), have been structurally characterized. Compound 2 has two copper(II) complexes in the asymmetric unit. In both 1 and 2, distorted square-planar N2O2 coordination geometries are observed and the Cu-N(Im) bond distance is slightly shorter than the Cu-N(py) bond distance. Inter-molecular π-π inter-actions are found in 1 and 2. A weak C-H⋯π inter-action is observed in 1.

Fine-Tuning the Activity of Metal-Organic Framework-Supported Cobalt Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane.

Few-atom cobalt-oxide clusters, when dispersed on a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) NU-1000, have been shown to be active for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane at low temperatures (<230 °C), affording a selective and stable propene production catalyst. In our current work, a series of promoter ions with varying Lewis acidity, including Ni(II), Zn(II), Al(III), Ti(IV) and Mo(VI), are anchored as metal-oxide,hydroxide clusters to NU-1000 followed by Co(II) ion deposition, yielding a series of NU-1000-supported bimetallic-oxo,hydroxo,aqua clusters. Using difference envelope density (DED) analyses, the spatial locations of the promoter ions and catalytic cobalt ions are determined. For all samples, the promoter ions are sited between pairs of Zr6 nodes along the MOF c-axis, whereas the location of the cobalt ions varies with the promoter ions. These NU-1000-supported bimetallic-oxide clusters are active for propane ODH after thermal activation under O2 to open a cobalt coordination site and to oxidize Co(II) to Co(III), as evidenced by operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Co K-edge. In accord with the decreasing Lewis acidity of the promoter ion, catalytic activity increases in the following order: Mo(VI) < Ti(IV) < Al(III) < Zn(II) < Ni(II). The finding is attributed to increasing ease of formation of Co(III)-O• species and stabilization of a cobalt(III)-oxyl/propane transition state as the Lewis acidity of the promoter ions decreases. The results point to an increasing ability to fine-tune the structure-dependent activity of MOF-supported heterogeneous catalysts. Coupled with mechanistic studies-computational or experimental-this ability may translate into informed prediction of improved catalysts for propane ODH and other chemical reactions.

A luminescent bis(pyridyl)-substituted benzimidazole platinum(II) complex exhibiting an intermolecular anagostic interaction.

The photophysical properties of transition metal complexes of the 5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole ligand are of interest. Dichlorido[5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole-κ2N2,N3]platinum(II), [PtCl2(C20H18N4)], is luminescent in the solid state at room temperature. The compound displays a distorted square-planar coordination geometry. The Pt-N(imidazole) bond length is shorter than the Pt-N(pyridine) bond length. The extended structure reveals that symmetry-related molecules display weak C-H...N, C-H...Cl, and C-H...Pt hydrogen-bonding interactions that are clearly discernable in the Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plots. The intermolecular C-H...Pt and C-H...N interactions have been explored using density functional theory. The result of an analysis of the distance dependence of C-H...Pt yields a value consistent with that observed in the solid-state structure. The energy of interaction for the C-H...Pt interaction is found to be about -11 kJ mol-1.

Optimizing Toxic Chemical Removal through Defect-Induced UiO-66-NH2 Metal-Organic Framework.

For the first time, an increasing number of defects were introduced to the metal-organic framework UiO-66-NH2 in an attempt to understand the structure-activity trade-offs associated with toxic chemical removal. It was found that an optimum exists with moderate defects for toxic chemicals that react with the linker, whereas those that require hydrolysis at the secondary building unit performed better when more defects were introduced. The insights obtained through this work highlight the ability to dial-in appropriate material formulations, even within the same parent metal-organic framework, allowing for trade-offs between reaction efficiency and mass transfer.

Assembly of dicobalt and cobalt-aluminum oxide clusters on metal-organic framework and nanocast silica supports.

NU-1000, a mesoporous metal-organic framework (MOF) featuring hexazirconium oxide nodes and 3 nm wide channels, was infiltrated with a reactive dicobalt complex to install dicobalt active sites onto the MOF nodes. The anchoring of the dicobalt complex onto NU-1000 occurred with a nearly ideal stoichiometry of one bimetallic complex per node and with the cobalt evenly distributed throughout the MOF particle. To access thermally robust multimetallic sites on an all-inorganic support, the modified NU-1000 materials containing either the dicobalt complex, or an analogous cobalt-aluminum species, were nanocast with silica. The resulting materials feature Co2 or Co-Al bimetallated hexazirconium oxide clusters within a silica matrix. The cobalt-containing materials are competent catalysts for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. Catalytic activity depends on the number of cobalt ions per node, but does not vary significantly between the NU-1000 and silica supports. Hence, the multimetallic oxide clusters remain site-isolated and substrate-accessible within the nanocast materials.

Metal-Organic Framework Supported Cobalt Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane at Low Temperature.

Zr-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been shown to be excellent catalyst supports in heterogeneous catalysis due to their exceptional stability. Additionally, their crystalline nature affords the opportunity for molecular level characterization of both the support and the catalytically active site, facilitating mechanistic investigations of the catalytic process. We describe herein the installation of Co(II) ions to the Zr6 nodes of the mesoporous MOF, NU-1000, via two distinct routes, namely, solvothermal deposition in a MOF (SIM) and atomic layer deposition in a MOF (AIM), denoted as Co-SIM+NU-1000 and Co-AIM+NU-1000, respectively. The location of the deposited Co species in the two materials is determined via difference envelope density (DED) analysis. Upon activation in a flow of O2 at 230 °C, both materials catalyze the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane to propene under mild conditions. Catalytic activity as well as propene selectivity of these two catalysts, however, is different under the same experimental conditions due to differences in the Co species generated in these two materials upon activation as observed by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. A potential reaction mechanism for the propane ODH process catalyzed by Co-SIM+NU-1000 is proposed, yielding a low activation energy barrier which is in accord with the observed catalytic activity at low temperature.

Conformational differences and intermolecular C-H...N interactions in three polymorphs of a bis(pyridinyl)-substituted benzimidazole.

The structural characterization of several polymorphic forms of a compound allow the interplay between molecular conformation and intermolecular interactions to be studied, which can contribute to the development of strategies for the rational preparation of materials with desirable properties and the tailoring of intermolecular interactions to produce solids with predictable characteristics of interest in crystal engineering. The crystal structures of two new polymorphs of 5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazole, C20H18N4, are reported. The previously reported polymorph, (1) [Geiger & DeStefano (2014). Acta Cryst. E70, o365], exhibits the space group C2/c, whereas polymorphs (2) and (3) presented here are in the Pnma and P-1 space groups, respectively. The molecular structures of the three forms differ in their orientations of the 2-(pyridin-2-yl)- and 1-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]- substituents. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the relative energies of the molecule in the three conformations follows the order (1) < (2) < (3), with a spread of 10.6 kJ mol-1. An analysis of the Hirshfeld surfaces shows that the three polymorphs exhibit intermolecular C-H...N interactions, which can be classified into six types. Based on DFT calculations involving pairs of molecules having the observed interactions, the C-H...N energy in the systems explored is approximately -11.2 to -14.4 kJ mol-1.

Cellulose Solubility in Ionic Liquid Mixtures: Temperature, Cosolvent, and Antisolvent Effects.

Select ionic liquids (ILs) dissolve significant quantities of cellulose through disruption and solvation of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In this study, thermodynamic solid-liquid equilibrium was measured with microcrystalline cellulose in a model IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIm][DEP]) and mixtures with protic antisolvents and aprotic cosolvents between 40 and 120 °C. The solubility of cellulose in pure [EMIm][DEP] exhibits an asymptotic maximum of approximately 20 mass % above 100 °C. Solubility studies conducted on antisolvent mixtures with [EMIm][DEP] and [BMIm][Cl] indicate that protic solvents, ethanol, methanol, and water, significantly reduce the cellulose capacity of IL mixtures by 38-100% even at small antisolvent loadings (<5 mass %). Alternatively, IL-aprotic cosolvent (dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) mixtures at mass ratios up to 1:1 enhance cellulose dissolution by 20-60% compared to pure [EMIm][DEP] at select temperatures. Interactions between the IL and molecular solvents were investigated by Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic analysis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicate that preferential solvation of the IL cation and anion by co- and antisolvents impact the ability of IL ions to interact with cellulose thus affecting the cellulose dissolution capacity of IL-solvent mixtures.

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of two new blue luminescent pyridylbenzimidazole zinc(II) complexes.

Luminescent metal complexes are used in photooptical devices. Zinc(II) complexes are of interest because of the ability to tune their color, their high thermal stability and their favorable carrier transport character. In particular, some zinc(II) complexes with aryl diimine and/or heterocyclic ligands have been shown to emit brightly in the blue region of the spectrum. Zinc(II) complexes bearing derivatized imidazoles have been explored for possible optoelectronic applications. The structures of two zinc(II) complexes of 5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazole (L), namely dichlorido(dimethylformamide-κO){5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl-κN)-1-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazole-κN(3)}zinc(II) dimethylformamide monosolvate, [ZnCl2(C20H18N4)(C3H7NO)]·C3H7NO, (I), and bis(acetato-κ(2)O,O'){5,6-dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl-κN)-1-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazole-κN(3)}zinc(II) ethanol monosolvate, [Zn(C2H3O2)2(C20H18N4)]·C2H5OH, (II), are reported. Complex (I) crystallized as a dimethylformamide solvate and exhibits a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometry. The coordination sphere consists of a bidentate L ligand spanning axial to equatorial sites, two chloride ligands in equatorial sites, and an O-bound dimethylformamide ligand in the remaining axial site. The other complex, (II), crystallized as an ethanol solvate. The Zn(II) atom has a distorted trigonal prismatic coordination geometry, with two bidentate acetate ligands occupying two edges and a bidentate L ligand occupying the third edge of the prism. Complexes (I) and (II) emit in the blue region of the spectrum. The results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the luminescence of L results from π*←π transitions and that the luminescence of the complexes results from interligand charge-transfer transitions. The orientation of the 2-(pyridin-2-yl) substituent with respect to the benzimidazole system was found to have an impact on the calculated HOMO-LUMO gap (HOMO is highest occupied molecular orbital and LUMO is lowest unoccupied molecular orbital).

5,6-Dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-[(pyri-din-2-yl)meth-yl]-1H-benzimidazole.

The title compound, C20H18N4, was obtained via the condensation of 4,5-di-methyl-benzene-1,2-di-amine with pyridine-2-carbaldehyde. The plane of the 2-(pyridin-2-yl) substitutent is canted by 2.75 (11)° from the plane of the benzimidazole system. The mol-ecule exhibits an S(6) C-H⋯N intra-molecular hydrogen-bond motif. In the crystal, C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link pairs of mol-ecules related by a crystallographic inversion center, forming R 2 (2)(20) rings. Additional weak C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds result in C(9) chains parallel to [001].

5-Bromo-2-(thio-phen-2-yl)-1-(thio-phen-2-ylmeth-yl)-1H-benzimidazole.

There are two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(16)H(11)BrN(2)S(2). In the crystal, weak C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯thio-phene ring inter-actions link the mol-ecules into chains along [100]. The structure exhibits disorder of the 2-thio-phen-2-yl substituent of one of the symmetry-unique mol-ecules with a major:minor component ratio of 0.914 (3):0.086 (3).