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We present the formation of a series of chiral metallacycles and metallacages by the use of a BINOL-derived dicarboxylate as a donor that is capable of affording a variety of coordination angles between its two Lewis basic sites. Two squares, two rhomboids, two tetragonal prisms, and one hexagonal prism were successfully formed when the chiral dicarboxylate donor self-assembled with one of four ditopic Pt(II) complexes, including two bimetallic 180° Pt-based acceptors, a 120° bimetallic Pt-based acceptor, and a 90° mononuclear Pt-based acceptor. Their structures were well characterized by 31P{1H} NMR, ESI-MS, CD, and optical rotation analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging strategy for the fabrication of advanced supramolecular materials is the use of hierarchical self-assembly techniques wherein multiple orthogonal interactions between molecular precursors can produce new species with attractive properties. Herein, we unify the spontaneous formation of metal-ligand bonds with the host/guest chemistry of crown ethers to deliver a 3D supramolecular polymer network (SPN). Specifically, we have prepared a highly directional dipyridyl donor decorated with a benzo-21-crown-7 moiety that undergoes coordination-driven self-assembly with a complementary organoplatinum acceptor to furnish hexagonal metallacycles. These hexagons subsequently polymerize into a supramolecular network upon the addition of a bisammonium salt due to the formation of [2]pseudorotaxane linkages between the crown ether and ammonium moieties. At high concentrations, the resulting 3D SPN becomes a gel comprising many cross-linked metallohexagons. Notably, thermo- and cation-induced gel-sol transitions are found to be completely reversible, reflecting the dynamic and tunable nature of such supramolecular materials. As such, these results demonstrate the structural complexity that can be obtained when carefully controlling multiple interactions in a hierarchical fashion, in this case coordination and host/guest chemistry, and the interesting dynamic properties associated with the materials thus obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal ions and metal complexes with organic molecules are ubiquitous in nature. Bulk metal ions of Na, K, Mg, and Ca constitute as much as 1% of human body weight. The remaining trace ions, most commonly of Fe, Ni, Cu, Mn, Zn, Co, Mo, and V, make up ∼0.01% by weight, but their importance in biological processes cannot be overstated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of endohedral and exohedral amine-functionalized ligands were synthesized and used in the construction of supramolecular D2h rhomboids and a D6h hexagon. These supramolecular polygons were obtained via self-assembly of 1200 dipyridyl donors with 180° or 120° diplatinum precursors when combined in 1:1 ratios. Steady-state absorption and emission spectra were collected for each ligand and metallacycle. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations were employed to probe the nature of the observed optical transitions for the rhomboids. The emissive properties of these bis(phosphine) organoplatinum metallacycles arise from ligand-centered transitions involving π-type molecular orbitals with modest contributions from metal-based atomic orbitals. The D211 rhomboid self-assembled from 2,6-bis(4-pyridylethynyl)aniljne and a 60° organoplatinum(ll) acceptor has a low-energy excited state in the visible region and emits above 500 nm, properties which greatly differ from those of the parent 2,6-bis(4-pyridylethynyl)aniline ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report the first study of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyzed by a cofacial porphyrin scaffold accessed in high yield (overall 53%) using coordination-driven self-assembly with no chromatographic purification steps. The ORR activity was investigated using chemical and electrochemical techniques on monomeric cobalt(II) tetra(meso-4-pyridyl)porphyrinate (CoTPyP) and its cofacial analogue [Ru8(η6-iPrC6H4Me)8(dhbq)4(CoTPyP)2][OTf]8 (Co Prism) (dhbq = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinato, OTf = triflate) as homogeneous oxygen reduction catalysts. Co Prism is obtained in one self-assembly step that organizes six total building blocks, two CoTPyP units and four arene-Ru clips, into a cofacial motif previously demonstrated with free-base, Zn(II), and Ni(II) porphyrins. Turnover frequencies (TOFs) from chemical reduction (66 vs 6 h-1) and rate constants of overall homogeneous catalysis (kobs) determined from rotating ring-disk experiments (1.1 vs 0.05 h-1) establish a cofacial enhancement upon comparison of the activities of Co Prism and CoTPyP, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry was used to initially probe the electrochemical catalytic behavior. Rotating ring-disk electrode studies were completed to probe the Faradaic efficiency and obtain an estimate of the rate constant associated with the ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe the synthesis of tetraphenyl -ethylene (TPE)-based di-Pt(ll) acceptors as shown by X-ray analysis, which are subsequently used to construct pure TPE-based 2D hexagonal metallacycles and 3D drumlike metallacages with three different counteranions via coordination-driven self-assembly.The metallacycles possess alternating TPE donor and acceptor 6 units that arrange 12 pendant phenyl rings along the outer perimeter that provide the basis for the observed aggregation induced emission (ALE) behavior. The metallacages are similarly 2 constructed from TPE-based building blocks, specifically two donors and four acceptors, resulting in eight freely rotating phenyl rings decorating the prismatic core. The fluorescence of these cages in dilute solution is intensified when hexane is added to CH2C12 solutions, indicative of aggregation-induced enhanced emission (ALEE). The influence of the counteranions on the photophysics of the assemblies was investigated. The molar absorption coefficients (ε), fluorescence emission intensities, and quantum yield (ΦF) values of the SCCs with different counteranions in CH2C12 follow the order PF6- > OTf- > N03-. The same trend also applies to the AIE characteristics of the SCCs in the aggregated state. The metal-organic materials developed here not only enrich a newly emerging library of self-assembly AIE metallacycles and cages that are promising candidates for turn-on fluorescent sensors and advanced optical devices but also provide an understanding of how structural factors affect the photophysics of AIE-active SCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordination-drivenself-assembly can be used to construct metallacyclesdecorated with saccharide functionalities by combining organoplatinumacceptor building blocks with glycosylated dipyridyl donors. We describehere the synthesis of a suite of donors encoded with 120° directionality.The 1,3-bis(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)benzene cores contain one of fourpendant saccharide groups, resulting in a glucose-, galactose-, mannose-,and lactose-variant. The angularity of these donors makes them suitablefor the self-assembly of [2 + 2] rhomboids and [3 + 3] hexagons containingtwo and three saccharide groups on combination with a 60 or 120°acceptor, respectively. The synthesis and characterization of eightsuch metallacycles are described, supported by multinuclear NMR andelectrospray mass spectrometry data that confirm clean, highly symmetricproducts with the expected stoichiometries of formation. This workillustrates the use of coordination-driven self-assembly to obtainnanoscopic metallacycles with biologically relevant functionalitiesin high yields and facile synthetic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the efficient preparation of rhomboidal metallacycles that self-assemble upon mixing a donor decorated with 2-ureido-4-pyrimidinone (UPy) with acceptors containing pendant [G1]-[G3] dendrons. The formed rhomboids subsequently polymerize into dendronized organoplatinum(II) metallacyclic polymers through H-bonding UPy interfaces, which possess the structural features of conventional dendronized polymers as well as the dynamic reversibility of supramolecular polymers. Preservation of both properties in a single material is achieved by exploiting hierarchical self-assembly, namely the unification of coordination-driven self-assembly with H-bonding, which provides facile routes to dendronized metallacycles and subsequent high ordering. The supramolecular polymerization defined here represents a novel method to deliver architecturally complex and ordered polymeric materials with adaptive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallacyclic cores provide a scaffold upon which pendant functionalities can be organized to direct the formation of dimensionally controllable nanostructures. Because of the modularity of coordination-driven self-assembly, the properties of a given supramolecular core can be readily tuned, which has a significant effect on the resulting nanostructured material. Herein we report the efficient preparation of two amphiphilic rhomboids that can subsequently order into 0D micelles, 1D nanofibers, or 2D nanoribbons. This structural diversity is enforced by three parameters: the nature of the hydrophilic moieties decorating the parent rhomboids, the concentration of precursors during self-assembly, and the reaction duration. These nanoscopic constructs further interact to generate metallohydrogels at high concentrations, driven by intermolecular hydrophobic and π-π interactions, demonstrating the utility of coordinationdriven self-assembly as a first-order structural element for the hierarchical design of functional soft materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) have been proposed for applications necessitating photon emitting properties; however, two critical characteristics, facile tunability and high emission quantum yields, have yet to be demonstrated on SCC platforms. Herein, a series of functionalized D2h [D2A2] rhomboids (D = 2,6-bis(4-ethynylpyridine)aniline-based ligands; A = 2,9-bis[trans-Pt(PEt3)2NO3]phenanthrene) is described with emission wavelengths spanning the visible region (Λmax = 476-581 nm). Tuning was achieved by simple functional group modifications para to the aniline amine on the donor building block. Steady-state absorption and emission profiles were obtained for each system and are discussed. When the Hammett spara constants for the functional groups σpara to the aniline amine were plotted versus the wavenumber (cm-1) for the Λmax of the emission profile, a linear relationship was observed. By utilizing this relationship, the emission wavelength of a given rhomboid can be predetermined on the basis of the Hammett constant of the functionality employed on the donor precursor. This range of visible light emission for a suite of simple rhomboids along with the predictive nature of the wavelength of emission is unprecedented for these types of systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemistry calculations were used to investigate the photophysical properties of various multinuclear platinum complexes with different conformational geometries. This suite of complexes includes a Pt–pyridyl square, a Pt–carboxylate triangle, and a mixed Pt–pyridyl–carboxylate rectangle, as well as two mononuclear Pt model complexes. Studying the individual molecular precursors in the context of larger assemblies is important to provide a complete understanding of the factors governing the observed photophysical properties of a given system. The absorption and emission bands of the parent linear dipyridyl donor (ligand 1) are largely preserved in the [4 + 4] square and the multicomponent [4 + 2 + 2] rectangle (3 and 4, respectively), with significant red shifts. The [3 + 3] Pt–carboxylate triangle containing p-phthalic acid is nonemissive. Phosphorescence and nanosecond transient spectroscopy on 3 and 4 reveal that the introduction of platinum atoms enhances spin–orbital coupling, thereby increasing the rate of intersystem crossing. This phenomenon is consistent with the low fluorescence quantum yields and short fluorescence lifetimes of 3 and 4. Moreover, the electronic structures for the ground state and low-lying excited states of these compounds were studied using quantum chemistry calculations. The fluorescent states of the platinum complexes are local excited states of ligand-centered π-π* transition features, whereas the nonfluorescent states are intramolecular charge-transfer states. These low-lying intramolecular charge-transfer states are responsible for the nonemissive nature of small molecules 1 and 2 and triangle 5. As the interactions between these components determine the properties of their corresponding assemblies, we establish novel excited-state decay mechanisms which dictate the observed spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the formation of a suite of [3]catenanes via multicomponent coordination-driven self-assembly and host–guest complexation of a rectangular scaffold comprising a 90° Pt-based acceptor building block with a pseudorotaxane bis(pyridinium)ethane/dibenzo-24-crown-8 linear dipyridyl ligand and three dicarboxylate donors. The doubly threaded [3]catenanes are formed from a total of 10 molecular components from four unique species. Furthermore, the dynamic catenation process is reversible and can be switched off and on in a controllable manner by successive addition of KPF6 and 18-crown-6, as monitored by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 90° and 60° bimetallic platinum complexeswith specialstructures are widely used in coordination-driven self-assembled metallosupramoleculararchitectures, and these complexes are the key components of triangular,rectangular, and polygonal metallacycle and metallocage supramolecules.Therefore, spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemistry calculationswere employed in this article to investigate the photophysical propertiesof these bimetallic platinum complexes. Compared with spectra forthe ligands, the absorption spectra of these Pt complexes are red-shifted,and the fluorescence spectra become wider and are also red-shifted.Moreover, the reasons for the low fluorescence quantum yields andshort fluorescence lifetimes of these compounds were investigatedusing quantum chemistry calculations. We demonstrate that the fluorescentstates of the bimetallic platinum complexes can be considered as localexcited states, and that they possess a ligand-centered π–π*transition feature. Meanwhile, the platinum metals act as perturbationfor these transitions, whereas the nonfluorescent states are classifiedas intramolecular charge-transfer states. Furthermore, a new fluorescencemodulation mechanism is developed to explain the different emissionprocesses of these complexes with different ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, interlocked, self-assembled (M2L2)2 molecular architecture was constructed from an arene-Ru acceptor and a 1,4-di(pyridin-4-yl)buta-1,3-diyne donor. Two M2L2 units, with cavities of ∼7.21 Å, spontaneously interlock, with one unit encapsulating a twin in a non-catenane fashion. The dimeric host-guest complex thus formed is unique among two-dimensional self-assemblies and is stabilized by π-π interactions between the M2L2 units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report a suite of coordination‐driven self‐assembled prisms for heterogeneous electrocatalytic oxygen reduction (ORR) differing in the molecular clips linking two porphyrin faces in a cofacial arrangement. ORR activities and selectivities of monomeric CoTPyP along with cofacial prisms Ox‐Co, Oxa‐Co, and Benzo‐Co were probed using cyclic voltammetry and rotating ring‐disk techniques. All species were immobilized as heterogeneous catalysts on glassy carbon electrodes using a Nafion ink method. The selectivities of Ox‐Co, Oxa‐Co, and Benzo‐Co prisms towards H2O as determined by RRDE were 87, 97, and 75 %, respectively. The current density of the Oxa‐Co plateaus at five times that of Pt/C when normalized per Co/Pt. The high synthetic yield (79 %), competitive overpotential (η ≈800 mV) and high selectivity (%H2O ≈97 %) of the Oxa‐Co highlights how self‐assembly can be used to address multi‐electron multi‐proton transformations using polynuclear catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum yields of organic fluorophores used as donors in coordination-driven self-assembly often suffer from the heavy atom effect of nearby metal sites. Here, the role of intersystem crossing from a deactivating process to one that delivers emissive triplet states was reversed. A phosphorescent trans bis- N-heterocyclic carbene platinum(II) compound, Pt(dhim)2(C≡C-4-py)2 ( D1; dhim=1,3-dihexyl-2-H-imidazol-2-ylidene), was used along with other linear donors 4,4′-bipyridine ( D2) and 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl ethynyl)benzene ( D3) in self-assembly reactions with Pt(dtbpy)X2 acceptors (dtbpy=4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine) to afford three metallacycles. Photophysical investigations revealed that, although the building blocks used to construct M1 have relatively low quantum yields ( Φ=1.2 and <1 % for D1 and 2, respectively), the metallacycle has a quantum yield of 14 %. This increase reflects a change in radiative rate constant from 3.6×104 s−1 for D1 to 2.1×105 s−1 for M1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of organoplatinum(II) metallacycles,M1andM2, was self-assembled by combining one of two donor molecules,cis-[Pt(dhim)2(C≡CC5H4N)2] (D1; dhim = 1,3-dihexyl-2-H-imidazole-2-yelidene) and Pt(tbbpy)(C≡CC5H4N)2(D2; tbbpy = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine), with an acceptor precursor, Pt(tbbpy)(OTf)2(A1; OTf = CF3SO3−), respectively. Both donor molecules exhibit an idealized 90° angle between the coordination vectors of their ethynylpyridine moieties. When mixed withA1, coordination-driven self-assembly occurs at 50 °C (4 days in acetonitrile forM1and 18 h in CH2Cl2forM2). Both metallacycles were characterized by1H NMR, FT-IR, and FT-ICR-MS techniques that support D2A2self-assembly of molecular squares. The structure of building blockD1was determined by X-ray diffraction, confirming the expected square coordination geometry and 90° orientation of the pyridyl coordination vectors. Photophysical studies ofM1andM2reveal that the metallacycles display triplet emission bands at 466 and 469 nm, respectively, that originate from transitions localized on building blocksD1andD2. This phosphorescent behavior is assigned to3ILCT and3LLCT (πC≡C* →πC≡C; ILCT = intraligand charge transfer, LLCT = ligand-to-ligand charge transfer) transitions based on previous studies of phenyl analogs toD1andD2that indicate that the ethynyl moieties dominate in their contributions to the molecular orbitals involved in absorption and emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical self-assembly centeredon metallacyclic scaffoldsgreatly facilitates the construction of mechanically interlocked structures.The formation of two [3]catenanes and one [4]molecular necklace ispresented by utilizing the orthogonality of coordination-driven self-assemblyand crown ether-based cryptand/paraquat derivative complexation. Thethreaded [3]catenanes and [4]molecular necklace were fabricated byusing ten and nine total molecular components, respectively, fromfour and three unique species in solution, respectively. In all casessingle supramolecular ensembles were obtained, attesting to the highdegree of structural complexity made possible via self-assembly approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of catenated systems can be simplified greatly if one or more rings are generated via self-assembly. Herein we exploit the orthogonality of coordination-driven self-assembly and crown-ether host-guest complexation to obtain a [4] molecular necklace and a [7]molecular necklace based on a well-developed recognition motif of 1,2-bis(pyridinium)ethane/ dibenzo[24]crown-8. By adapting the bis(pyridinium) motif into the backbone of a donor building block, the resulting semirigid dipyridyl species can serve both as a structural element in the formation of metallacycles and as a site for subsequent host-guest chemistry. The pseudo-linear nature of the donor precursor lends itself to the formation of triangular and hexagonal central metallacycles based on the complementary acceptor unit used. This exemplary system organizes up to 18 molecules from three unique species in solution to afford a single supramolecular ensemble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of three tetraruthenium metallacycles have been obtained from [2+2] self-assemblies between N, N′-Di-(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarbo-xydiimide ( 4) and one of the three dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, (η6- p- iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2( OO∩OO)][OTf]2 ( OO∩OO=oxalate 1, 2,5-dioxydo-1,4-benzoquinonato (dobq) 2, 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinonato (donq) 3; OTf=triflate). All complexes were isolated in good yield (>85 %) as triflate salts and were fully characterized by using 1H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, and high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry. A single crystal of the metallarectangle 5 was suitable for X-ray diffraction structural characterization. The biological activities of the metallacycles were determined by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, establishing their in vitro anticancer properties. Our results show that for the AGC (gastric cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity of (donq)-containing SCC 7 exceeds that of cisplatin, which was used as a control. For HCT15 (colon cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity is comparable to both cisplatin and doxorubicin. An in vivo hollow fiber model was used to show growth-inhibitory activity against HCT15 and image-based cytometry experiments indicated that 7 induced apoptosis as the mode of cell death. Complex 7 also showed significant antitumor activity for multidrug-resistant HCT15/CLO2 cell lines, for which doxorubicin was ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a joint computational and experimental study on the concentration-dependent self-assembly of a flat C3-symmetric molecule at surfaces. As a model system we have chosen a rigid molecular module, 1,3,5-tris(pyridine-4-ylethynyl)benzene, which can undergo self-association via hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) to form ordered 2D nanostructures. In particular, the lattice Monte Carlo method, combined with density functional calculations, was employed to explore the spontaneous supramolecular organization of this tripod-shaped molecule under surface confinement. We analyzed the stability of different weak H-bonded patterns and the influence of the concentration of the starting molecule on the 2D supramolecular packing. We found that ordered, densely packed monolayers and 2D porous networks are obtained at high and low concentrations, respectively. A concentration-dependent scanning tunneling microscopy investigation of the molecular self-assembly at a graphite-solution interface revealed supramolecular motifs, which are in perfect agreement with those obtained by simulations. Therefore, our computational approach represents a step forward toward the deterministic prediction of molecular self-assembly at surfaces and interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]