Toward a Square-Grid Polymer: Synthesis and Structure of Pedestal-Mounted Tetragonal Star Connectors, C4R4−Co−C5Y5

(η4-Tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)-(η5-pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl)-cobalt

A one-pot reaction starting with C5Ph5Br, n-BuLi and [CoCl(PPh3)3] followed by the addition of diphenylethyne produces the title compound with 12% yield. Spectroscopic characterization involved 1H, 13C-NMR, UV-Vis and mass spectrometry. A crystal structure determination showed that the central aromatic rings are exactly parallel with the cyclobutadiene ring further apart from the metal as usual. The pentaphenyl–cyclopentadienyl ligand shows an usual paddlewheel orientation, whereas in the tetraphenyl–cyclobutadiene ligand, two of the phenyl groups are nearly coplanar with the four-membered ring. There are also numerous C–H…C(π) interactions between the phenyl groups on the same ring, as well as between rings.

Tenfold Metalation of Ferrocene: Synthesis, Structures, and Metallophilic Interactions in FeC10 (HgX)10

The permercuration of ferrocene was achieved by reacting ferrocene with 10 equivalents of mercury(II) butyrate Hg(O2 CC3 H7 )2 in a facile one-pot reaction in multi-gram scale and high yields. The butyrate groups in FeC10 (HgX)10 (X=O2 CC3 H7 ) can be exchanged by treatment with trifluoro- or trichloroacetic acid (X=O2 CCF3 , O2 CCCl3 ). Substitution of the trifluoroacetate groups by halides (X=Cl, F) proceeds easily in aqueous THF. The completeness of metalation was confirmed by NMR and vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, as well as elemental analysis. Additionally, the first crystal structures of permetallated metallocenes are presented: FeC10 (HgX)10 (X=Cl, O2 CCF3 , O2 CCCl3 ).

Borylation, silylation and selenation of C–H bonds in metal sandwich compounds by applying a directing group strategy

Carbon–heteroatom bond formation in metal-sandwich compounds using C–H activation by selective directing groups.

Electronic Spectra of the Tetraphenylcyclobutadienecyclopentadienylnickel(II) Cation and Radical

Properties of the tetraphenylcyclobutadienecyclopentadienylnickel(II) cation 1 and its tetra-o-fluoro derivative 1a have been measured and calculated. The B3LYP/TZP optimized geometry of the free cation 1 agrees with a single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure except that in the crystal one of the phenyl substituents is strongly twisted to permit a close-packing interaction of two of its hydrogens with a nearby BF4(-) anion. The low-energy parts of the solution electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of 1 and 1a have been interpreted by comparison with TD-DFT (B3LYP/TZP) results. Reduction or pulse radiolysis lead to a neutral 19-electron radical, whose visible absorption and MCD spectra have been recorded and interpreted as well. The reduction is facilitated by ∼0.1 V upon going from 1 to 1a. Unsuccessful attempts to prepare several other aryl substituted derivatives of 1 by the classical synthetic route are described in the Supporting Information .

Coordination-driven face-directed self-assembly of trigonal prisms. Face-based conformational chirality

The coordination-driven self-assembly of four different trigonal prisms from 3 equiv of one of four different tetrapyridyl star connectors and 6 equiv of a platinum linker dication in nitromethane is presented. This face-directed approach affords high yields without template assistance. The prisms have been characterized by multinuclear and DOSY NMR and dual ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry. The use of a conformationally chiral star connector leads to a conformationally chiral prism when connector arm ends attached to a vertex have a strongly correlated twist sense and chirality is communicated across polyhedral faces, edges, and vertices. Molecular mechanics results suggest that in the smallest prism 3d collective effects dominate and the all-P and all-M conformers are strongly favored. NMR data prove that the two edges of the pyridine rings in the triflate salts of 3a-3d are distinct. An Eyring plot of rates obtained from line-shape analysis and 1-D EXCHSY NMR yields an activation enthalpy DeltaH(double dagger) of approximately 12 kcal/mol and activation entropy DeltaS(double dagger) of approximately -15 cal/mol x K for the edge interconversion process, compatible with pyridine rotation around the Pt-N bond. For 3c, this behavior is observed only up to approximately 318 K. At higher temperatures, the Eyring plot is again linear but follows a very different straight line, with a DeltaH(double dagger) of approximately 35 kcal/mol and DeltaS(double dagger) of approximately 60 cal/mol x K. This highly unusual result is further investigated and discussed in the following companion paper.

Cross-linking of polybutadiene at the air/water interface: Toward an easy access to two-dimensional polymeric materials

A novel approach to two-dimensionally crosslink polydienes at the air/water interface is proposed. The acid-catalyzed condensation of the triethoxysilane pendant groups of triethoxysilane-functionalized polybutadiene chains at the air/water interface successfully led to the formation of an insoluble crosslinked material which could be directly removed from the water surface. The efficiency of the cross-linking reaction was demonstrated through surface pressure measurements such as surface pressure-mean molecular area isotherms recorded at different reaction times and isobar experiments for different subphase pH values. The evolution of the monolayer topography during cross-linking was studied by atomic force microscopy imaging of the Langmuir-Blodgett films.

Two-dimensional polymeric nanomaterials through cross-linking of polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) monolayers at the air/water interface

Two-dimensional polymeric nanomaterials consisting of a continuously cross-linked polybutadiene (PB) two-dimensional network with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) domains of controlled sizes trapped within the PB network were synthesized. To reach that goal, novel (PB(Si(OEt)3)-b-PEO)3 star block copolymers were designed by hydrosilylation of the pendant double bonds of (PB-b-PEO)3 star block copolymer precursors with triethoxysilane. The (PB(Si(OEt)3)-b-PEO)3 star block copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy. Self-condensation of the triethoxysilane pendant groups under acidic conditions led to a successful cross-linking of the polybutadiene blocks directly at the air/water interface without any additives or reagents. This strategy was found more efficient than radical cross-linking of (PB-b-PEO)3 with AIBN to get a homogeneously cross-linked monolayer of controlled and fixed morphology as demonstrated by the easy mechanical removal of the cross-linked Langmuir film from the water surface. As shown by AFM imaging, this strategy allows the accurate control of the PEO "pore" size depending on the monolayer surface pressure applied during the cross-linking reaction. The subphase pH and surface pressure influence on the cross-linking kinetics and monolayer morphologies were investigated by Langmuir trough studies (isotherm and isobar experiments) and AFM imaging.

Adsorption of tentacled tetragonal star connectors, C4R4-Co-C5(HgX)5, on mercury

For future use in self-assembly of surface structures, the adsorption on the surface of mercury of a series of tetraphenylcyclobutadienecyclopentadienylcobalt double-decker sandwich complexes with five mercury and sulfur containing "tentacles" on the cyclopentadienyl deck has been examined by combined electrochemical and Langmuir trough techniques.

Synthetic and structural studies on C-ethynyl- and C-bromo-carboranes

A high-yield preparation of the C-monoethynyl para-carborane, 1-Me(3)SiC[triple bond]C-1,12-C2B10H11, from C-monocopper para-carborane and 1-bromo-2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyne, BrC[triple bond]CSiMe(3) is reported. The low-yield preparation of 1,12-(Me3SiC[triple bond]C)2-1,12-C2B10H10 from the C,C'-dicopper para-carborane derivative with 1-bromo-2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyne, BrC[triple bond]CSiMe3, has been re-investigated and other products were identified including the C-monoethynyl-carborane 1-Me3SiC[triple bond]C-1,12-C2B10H11 and two-cage assemblies generated from cage-cage couplings. The contrast in the yields of the monoethynyl and diethynyl products is due to the highly unfavourable coupling process between 1-RC[triple bond]C-12-Cu-1,12-C2B10H10 and the bromoalkyne. The ethynyl group at the cage carbon C(1) strongly influences the chemical reactivity of the cage carbon at C(12)-the first example of the "antipodal effect" affecting the syntheses of para-carborane derivatives. New two-step preparations of 1-ethynyl- and 1,12-bis(ethynyl)-para-carboranes have been developed using a more readily prepared bromoethyne, 1-bromo-3-methyl-1-butyn-3-ol, BrC[triple bond]CCMe2OH. The molecular structures of the two C-monoethynyl-carboranes, 1-RC[triple bond]C-1,12-C2B10H11 (R = H and Me3Si), were experimentally determined using gas-phase electron diffraction (GED). For R = H (R(G) = 0.053) a model with C(5v) symmetry refined to give a C[triple bond]C bond distance of 1.233(5) A. For R = Me3Si (R(G) = 0.048) a model with C(s) symmetry refined to give a C[triple bond]C bond distance of 1.227(5) A. Molecular structures of 1,12-Br2-1,12-C2B10H10, 1-HC[triple bond]C-12-Br-1,12-C2B10H10 and 1,12-(Me(3)SiC[triple bond]C)2-1,12-C2B10H10 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Substituents at the cage carbon atoms on the C2B10 cage skeleton in 1-X-12-Y-1,12-C2B10H10 derivatives invariably lengthen the cage C-B bonds. However, the subtle substituent effects on the tropical B-B bond lengths in these compounds are more complex. The molecular structures of the ethynyl-ortho-carborane, 1-HC[triple bond]C-1,2-C2B10H11 and the ethene, trans-Me3SiBrC=CSiMe3Br are also reported.

Camouflaged Carborarods Derived fromB-Permethyl-1,12-diethynyl-para- andB-Octamethyl-1,7-diethylnyl-meta-carborane Modules

Rigid camouflaged carborarods constructed from the corresponding C,C'-diethynyl derivatives of B-decamethyl-1,12-dicarbadodecaborane(12) (6) and B-octamethyl-1,7-dicarbadodecaborane(12) (48) have been synthesized by largely conventional organic transformations. These carborarods are the longest discrete rod species available by this method in which B-methylated p-carborane and m-carborane cages are linked through their carbon vertices by using butadiynylene moieties. They exhibit enhanced solubility in common organic solvents relative to all other presently known carborane-based rigid-rod molecules. The oxidative coupling of bis(ethynyl) derivatives of 6 generates oligomers containing, on average, 16 carborane modules. The structural characterization of the corresponding dimeric species revealed that the carborarods possess a sinusoidal chain distortion in the solid state. The stereoelectronic properties of these and related model carborarods were evaluated by using molecular dimensions as a monitor for the comparison of computational and experimental methods. In addition, the effect of exhaustive B-methylation of 12- and 10-vertex para-carborane cages in a series of model C,C'-diethynyl derivatives was similarly investigated by computational and structural studies. As expected, a correlation of intercage C--C bond lengths with cage size was observed and was attributed to hybridization effects. B-Permethylation had no significant structural effect with either 10- or 12-vertex cage derivatives. Relative to unsubstituted compounds, thermal and chemical stabilities of B-permethylated derivatives were increased through the operation of a steric "bumper-car" process, and solubilities in organic solvents were enhanced. The formation of linear, sterically encumbered platina-carborarods using ethynyl derivatives of 6 as precursors is described.

Toward Self-Assembled Surface-Mounted Prismatic Altitudinal Rotors. A Test Case: Trigonal and Tetragonal Prisms

[structure: see text] A self-assembly path toward prismatic molecular rotors based on transversely reactive terminally metalated molecular rods and pyridine-terminated star connectors has been extended. The concept has been tested on the assembly of trigonal and tetragonal prisms from the biphenyl rod, [Ph2P(CH2)3PPh2]Pt+ -C6H4-C6H4-Pt+ [Ph2P(CH2)3PPh2], and the star-shaped connectors, 1,3,5-tris(4-ethynylpyridyl)benzene and [tetrakis(4-pyridyl)cyclobutadiene]cyclopentadienylcobalt, respectively. The prisms have been fully characterized by NMR and MS, including diffusion-ordered NMR and collision-induced dissociation, and their chiral structures optimized by molecular mechanics are discussed.

Self-Assembled Trigonal Prismatic Altitudinal Rotors with Triptycene Paddle Wheels

We describe the synthesis of a trigonal prismatic molecular rotor by self-assembly from paddlewheel carrying molecular rods and trigonal star connectors in a 3:2 ratio. The rod is 9,10-diethynyltriptycene terminated in transversely reactive [Pt(dppp)]+ groups (dppp = 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) and the connector is 1,3,5-tris[(4-pyridyl)ethynyl]benzene. The structure of the molecular rotor has been established by 2-D NMR and MS, including diffusion-ordered NMR and collision-induced dissociation.

Toward Self-Assembled Surface-Mounted Prismatic Altitudinal Rotors. A Test Case: Molecular Rectangle

[structure: see text] A self-assembly path toward prismatic molecular rotors based on transversely reactive terminally metalated molecular rods and pyridine-terminated star connectors is outlined. The concept is tested on the assembly of the biphenyl rod [Ph(2)P(CH(2))(3)PPh(2)Pt(+)-C(6)H(4)-C(6)H(4)-Pt(+)[Ph(2)P(CH(2))(3)PPh(2)] and 4,4'-bipyridyl into a molecular rectangle, fully characterized by NMR and MS, including diffusion-ordered NMR and collision-induced dissociation MS.

Dipolar and Nonpolar Altitudinal Molecular Rotors Mounted on an Au(111) Surface

We describe the preparation of a compound whose molecules consist of two metal sandwich stands carrying tentacles with affinity to metal surfaces and holding an axle that carries a dipolar or a nonpolar rotator. The dipolar rotor exists as three pairs of enantiomers, rapidly interconverting at room temperature. When mounted on a gold surface, each molecule represents a chiral altitudinal rotor, with the rotator axle parallel to the surface. The surface-mounted rotor molecules are characterized by several spectroscopic and imaging techniques. At any one time, in about one-third of the dipolar rotors the rotator is free to turn and the direction of its dipole can be flipped by the electric field applied by an STM tip, as revealed by differential barrier height imaging. Molecular dynamics calculations suggest that electric field normal to the surface causes members of one pair of enantiomers to rotate unidirectionally.

Supramolecular assembly at interfaces: formation of an extended two-dimensional coordinate covalent square grid network at the air-water interface

Reaction of a Langmuir monolayer of an amphiphilic pentacyanoferrate(3+) complex with Ni(2+) ions from the subphase results in the formation of a two-dimensional iron-nickel cyanide-bridged network at the air-water interface. The network can be transferred to various supports to form monolayer or multilayer lamellar films by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. The same network does not form from homogeneous reaction conditions. Therefore, the results demonstrate the potential utility of an interface as a structure director in the assembly of low dimensional coordinate covalent network solids. Characterization of the LB film extended networks by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FT-IR spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), and grazing incidence synchrotron X-ray diffraction (GIXD) revealed a face-centered square grid structure with an average domain size of 3600 A(2). Magnetic measurements indicated that the network undergoes a transition to a ferromagnetic state below a T(c) of 8 K.

Synthesis and structure of trigonal and tetragonal connectors for a "Tinkertoy" construction set

We describe a convergent synthesis of eight 1,3,5- and 1,2,4,5-substituted benzene derivatives with long rigid arms containing 4-pyridyl, 2,2'-bipyridyl, and 2,2'-bipyrimidyl termini, meant to be used as trigonal or tetragonal connectors for the construction of large molecular structures. The synthesis involved copper-free Pd-mediated coupling of terminal acetylenes to aryl halides. First, one of the termini of 1,3-diethynylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane was coupled with a brominated aza heterocycle, and second, 3 equiv of the resulting extended arm were coupled with 1,3,5-triiodobenzene or 4 with 1,2,4,5-tetraiodobenzene. An improved large-scale synthesis for 1,3-diethynylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane is described. The structures of two of the arms were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Several long molecular rods with 4-pyridyl termini were obtained as byproducts, and a single-crystal X-ray structure is reported for the shortest of these.

Organometallic dendrimers based on (tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)cyclopentadienylcobalt modules

The synthesis and characterization of novel organometallic polyphenylene dendrimers containing 24 or 44 phenyl rings and one cyclobutadiene(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt unit is reported. The dendrimers are made by the convergent CpCo(CO)(2)-mediated dimerization of di- or tetraethynyltolanes followed by a divergent core extension utilizing tetraphenylcyclopentadienone. The obtained dendrimers are air and water stable, soluble materials that show interesting differences in their hydrodynamic properties as evidenced by gel permeation chromatography. Scanning pulse voltammetry in solution shows that the dendrimers are oxidized at potentials ranging from 0.8 to 0.83 V. The more sterically encumbered the dendrimer, the higher its oxidation potential, that is, the more difficult oxidation is.