Luminescent Ln3+-based silsesquioxanes with a ß-diketonate antenna ligand: toward the design of efficient temperature sensors.

We report the synthesis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic, and luminescence measurements of a novel family of luminescent cage-like tetranuclear silsesquioxanes (PhSiO1.5)8(LnO1.5)4(O)(C5H8O2)6(EtOH)2(CH3CN)2⋅2CH3CN (where Ln = Tb, 1; Tb/Eu, 2; and Gd, 3), featuring seven-coordinated lanthanide ions arranged in a one-capped trigonal prism geometry. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit characteristic Tb3+ and Tb3+/Eu3+-related emissions, respectively, sensitized by the chelating antenna acetylacetonate (acac) ligands upon excitation in the UV and visible spectral regions. Compound 3 is used to assess the energies of the triplet states of the acac ligand. For compound 1, theoretical calculations on the intramolecular energy transfer and multiphonon rates indicate a thermal balance between the 5D4 Stark components, while the mixed Tb3+/Eu3+ analog 2, with a Tb:Eu ratio of 3:1, showcases intra-cluster Tb3+-to-Eu3+ energy transfer, calculated theoretically as a function of temperature. By utilizing the intensity ratio between the 5D4→7F5 (Tb3+) and 5D0→7F2 (Eu3+) transitions in the range 11-373 K, we demonstrate the realization of a ratiometric luminescent thermometer with compound 2, operating in the range 11-373 K with a maximum relative sensitivity of 2.0% K-1 at 373 K. These findings highlight the potential of cage-like silsesquioxanes as versatile materials for optical sensing-enabled applications.

Prediction of Metal-Organic Frameworks with Phase Transition via Machine Learning.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess a virtually unlimited number of potential structures. Although the latter enables an efficient route to control the structure-related functional properties of MOFs, it still complicates the prediction and searching for an optimal structure for specific application. Next to prediction of the MOFs for gas sorption/separation and catalysis via machine learning (ML), we report on ML to find MOFs demonstrating a phase transition (PT). On the basis of an available QMOF database (7463 frameworks), we create and train the autoencoder followed by training the classifier of MOFs from a unique database with experimentally confirmed PT. This makes it possible to identify MOFs with a high potential for PT and evaluate the most likely stimulus for it (guest molecules or temperature/pressure). The formed list of available MOFs for PT allows us to discuss their structural features and opens an opportunity to search for phase change MOFs for diverse physical/chemical application.

Tetranuclear lanthanide-based silsesquioxanes: towards a combination of a slow relaxation of the magnetization and a luminescent thermometry.

Lanthanide-based silsesquioxanes constitute an emerging family of cage-like metallasilsesquioxanes with exciting optical and magnetic properties. We report here the synthesis, structures and luminescence properties of a series of tetranuclear lanthanide-silsesquioxane compounds of general formula [NEt4]2[(Ph4Si4O8)2(Ln/Ln')4(NO3)6(EtOH)2(MeCN)2]·4(MeCN) with different lanthanide ions (where Ln/Ln' = Dy3+/Eu3+ (1), Dy3+/Tb3+ (2) and Eu3+/Tb3+/Y3+ (3)) and investigate the impact of the lanthanide ions combination on magnetic and photo-luminescent properties. Compound 1 behaves as a field-induced Single Molecule Magnet (SMM) and presents temperature-dependent luminescence characteristics of Eu3+ making it an emissive thermometer working in the temperature range 293-373 K with the maximum relative sensitivity of 1.15% K-1 achieved at 293 K. Compounds 2 and 3 are paramagnets, which demonstrate a characteristic photoluminescence with Dy3+ to Tb3+ and Tb3+ to Eu3+ energy transfers, respectively.

Temperature sensing in Tb3+/Eu3+-based tetranuclear silsesquioxane cages with tunable emission.

New luminescent cage-like tetranuclear silsesquioxanes [NEt4][(Ph4Si4O8)2(Tb3Eu)(NO3)4(OH)(EtOH)3(H2O)]·4(EtOH) (1) and [NEt4]2[(Ph4Si4O8)2(Tb2Eu2)(NO3)6(EtOH)2(MeCN)2]·4(MeCN) (2) present a tunable thermosensitive Tb3+-to-Eu3+ energy transfer driven by Tb3+ and Eu3+ emission and may be used as temperature sensors operating in the range 41-100 °C with excellent linearity (R 2 = 0.9990) and repeatability (>95%). The thermometer performance was evidenced by the maximum relative sensitivity of 0.63% °C-1 achieved at 68 °C.

New Luminescent Tetranuclear Lanthanide-Based Silsesquioxane Cage-Like Architectures.

Invited for the cover of this issue are Alexey N. Bilyachenko, Joulia Larionova and co-workers at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, and University of Montpellier. The image depicts lanthanide-based cage-like silsesquioxanes exhibiting magnetic and luminescence properties that could constitute a particularly interesting new family related to multifunctional nanomaterials. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202003351.

New Luminescent Tetranuclear Lanthanide-Based Silsesquioxane Cage-Like Architectures.

The synthesis, structure, magnetic, and luminescence properties investigations of four new cage-like lanthanide-based silsesquioxanes (Cat)2 [(PhSiO1.5 )8 (LnO1.5 )4 (O)(NO2.5 )6 (EtOH)2 (MeCN)2 ] (where Cat+ =Et4 N+ , PPh4 P+ and Ln3+ =Eu3+ , Tb3+ and (Ph4 P)4 [(PhSiO1.5 )8 (TbO1.5 )4 (O)2 (NO2.5 )8 ]⋅10MeCN are reported. They present an unusual prism-like topology of cage architectures and lanthanide-characteristic emission, which makes them the first luminescent cage-like lanthanide silsesquioxanes. One of the Tb3+ -based cages presents a magnetic spin-flip transition.

A new "bicycle helmet"-like copper(ii),sodiumphenylsilsesquioxane. Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity.

A new "bicycle helmet"-like copper(ii),sodiumphenylsilsesquioxane Ph12Si12O12(OH)(O-)11Cu5Na(bipy)3(H2O) exhibited high catalytic efficiency in two homogeneous reactions: (i) functionalization of C-H compounds; (ii) formation of benzamides from alcohols.

New Ni4Na2-phenylgermsesquioxane architecture: synthesis, structure and slow dynamic behaviour.

The first Ni(ii)-based metallagermaniumsesquioxane cage compound [(PhGeO1.5)10(NiO)4(NaO0.5)2] presents a sandwich-like structure where two germsesquioxane cages are linked through an {NiO}4 core and exhibits slow dynamics of the magnetization.

Heptanuclear Fe5Cu2-Phenylgermsesquioxane containing 2,2'-Bipyridine: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic Activity in Oxidation of C-H Compounds.

A new representative of an unusual family of metallagermaniumsesquioxanes, namely the heterometallic cagelike phenylgermsesquioxane (PhGeO2)12Cu2Fe5(O)OH(PhGe)2O5(bipy)2 (2), was synthesized and structurally characterized. Fe(III) ions of the complex are coordinated by oxa ligands: (i) cyclic (PhGeO2)12 and acyclic (Ph2Ge2O5) germoxanolates and (ii) O2- and (iii) HO- moieties. In turn, Cu(II) ions are coordinated by both oxa (germoxanolates) and aza ligands (2,2'-bipyridines). This "hetero-type" of ligation gives in sum an attractive pagoda-like molecular architecture of the complex 2. Product 2 showed a high catalytic activity in the oxidation of alkanes to the corresponding alkyl hydroperoxides (in yields up to 30%) and alcohols (in yields up to 100%) and in the oxidative formation of benzamides from alcohols (catalyst loading down to 0.4 mol % in Cu/Fe).

Si10Cu6N4 Cage Hexacoppersilsesquioxanes Containing N Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, and High Catalytic Activity in Peroxide Oxidations.

The synthesis, composition, and catalytic properties of a new family of hexanuclear Cu(II)-based phenylsilsesquioxanes are described here. Structural studies of 17 synthesized compounds revealed the general principle underlying their molecular topology: viz., a central metal oxide layer consisting of two Cu3 trimers is coordinated by two cyclic [PhSiO1.5]5 siloxanolate ligands to form a skewed sandwich architecture with the composition [(PhSiO1.5)10(CuO)6]2+. In addition to this O ligation by the siloxanolate rings, two opposite copper ions are additionally coordinated by the nitrogen atoms of corresponding N ligand(s), such as 2,2'-bipyridine (compounds 1-9), 1,10-phenanthroline (compounds 10-13), mixed 1,10-phenanthroline/2,2'-bipyridine (compound 14), or bathophenanthroline (compounds 15-17). Finally, the charge balance is maintained by two HO- (compounds 1-7, 10-13, and 15-17), two H3CO- (compound 8), or two CH3COO- (compounds 9 and 14) anions. Complexes 1 and 10 exhibited a high activity in the oxidative amidation oxidation of alcohols. Compounds 1, 10, and 15 are very efficient homogeneous catalysts in the oxidation of alkanes and alcohols with peroxides.

Tuning linkage isomerism and magnetic properties of bi- and tri-metallic cage silsesquioxanes by cation and solvent effects.

Herein, the effect of replacement of the surrounding solvent and/or the partial substitution of sodium ions in the cage-like copper, sodium phenylsilsesquioxane [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)4(n-BuOH)6] 1 with a globular structure was investigated; the synthesis of ten new derivatives of complex 1 was performed, and their crystal structures were determined. Solvate replacement of n-butanol in 1 with dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile, 1,4-dioxane/EtOH, and 1,4-dioxane/PhCN afforded the complexes [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)4(DMSO)8] (2), [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)4(MeCN)6(H2O)2]·2MeCN (3), [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)4(C4H8O2)(EtOH)4]·0.5EtOH (4), and [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)4(C4H8O2)4(H2O)3]·2PhCN·2C4H8O2·H2O (5). In an aqueous solution of EtOH, a rearrangement reaction occurred instead of substitution, which resulted in a new complex, [(PhSiO1.5)10(CuO)2(NaO0.5)2(H2O)6] (6), with a cooling tower molecular structure. Transmetalation reactions of 1 with KCl or CsF resulted in the formation of the trimetallic complexes [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)2(KO0.5)2(DMF)6] (7), [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)(CsO0.5)3(DMF)4(DMSO)(H2O)]·1.5DMF (8), [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)2(CsO0.5)2(DMF)8]·0.5H2O (9), and [(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)3(CsO0.5)(DMF)4] (10). The replacement of sodium ions of 1 by the bulky non-metallic cation PhMe3N+ upon the interaction of 1 with PhMe3NCl in a MeCN medium afforded the complex (PhNMe3)2[(PhSiO1.5)12(CuO)4(NaO0.5)2(O)(MeCN)4]·4MeCN (11). X-ray analysis confirmed the successful replacement of terminal butanol molecules in all complexes and the stability of the globular cage of the parent complex under the reaction conditions, with the exceptions of complexes 6 and 9 that underwent an unprecedented reorganization of cage metallasilsesquioxane (CLMS) units into the cooling tower and sandwich-like cages, respectively. The stability of the cage during substitution reactions provides the first experimental evidence that polynuclear cage metallasilsesquioxanes can act as building blocks for the construction of coordination polymers, opening new ways for the synthesis of hybrid CLMS-based frameworks. In particular, the compounds 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 are one-dimensional coordination polymers, and 5 and 8 are two-dimensional coordination polymers with a square lattice topology. A magnetism study of the coordination polymer compounds 5, 6, 8, and 9 showed antiferromagnetic behavior between copper centers.

Unusual Tri-, Hexa-, and Nonanuclear Cu(II) Cage Methylsilsesquioxanes: Synthesis, Structures, and Catalytic Activity in Oxidations with Peroxides.

Three types of unusual cagelike copper(II) methylsilsesquioxanes, namely, nona- [(MeSiO1.5)18(CuO)9] 1, hexa- [(MeSiO1.5)10(HO0.5)2(CuO)6(C12H8N2)2(MeSiO1.5)10(HO0.5)1.33(CH3COO0.5)0.67(CuO)6(C12H8N2)2] 2, [(MeSiO1.5)10(CuO)6(MeO0.5)2(C10H8N2)2] 3, and trinuclear [(MeSiO1.5)8(CuO)3(C10H8N2)2] 4, were obtained in 44%, 27%, 20%, and 16% yields, respectively. Nuclearity and structural fashion of products was controlled by the choice of solvent system and ligand, specifically assisting the assembling of cage. Structures of 1-4 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 4 are the first cage metallasilsesquioxanes, containing nine and three Cu ions, respectively. Product 1 is the first observation of nonanuclear metallasilsesquioxane ever. Unique architecture of 4 represents early unknown type of molecular geometry, based on two condensed pentamembered siloxane cycles. Topological analysis of metal clusters in products 1-4 is provided. Complex 1 efficiently catalyzes oxidation of alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide TBHP to ketones or alkanes with H2O2 to alkyl hydroperoxides in acetonitrile.