Design of Neutral Metallomesogens from 5,5-Dimethyldipyrromethane: Metal Ion Mediated Control of Folding and Hairpin Structures

Kelly A. Ames, Simon R. Collinson, Alexander J. Blake, Claire Wilson, Jason B. Love, Duncan W. Bruce, Bertrand Donnio, Daniel Guillon, Martin Schroeder

Research output: Contribution to journalLiterature reviewpeer-review

Abstract

New ligands derived from 5,5-dimethyldipyrromethane and their corresponding neutral complexes with Zn-II and Pd-II are described. The ligands incorporate either a hexacatenar [H2(1(n)), n = 1, 10, 12, 14 and 16], tetracatenar [H-2(2(n)), n = 1 and 16] or an extended dicatenar structure [H-2(3(n)), n = 1 and 16]. Single-crystal X-ray structure determinations of [Zn-2(1(1))(2)] and [Zn-2(3(1))(2)] confirm a distorted tetrahedral geometry at Zn-II to afford double-stranded helical structures, while the Pd-II species [Pd(3(1))] shows a distorted square-planar geometry with the ligand adopting an alternative hairpin conformation. The metal-free hexacatenar ligands H-2(1(n)) (n = 10, 12, 14, 16) and the corresponding complexes [Zn-2(1(16))(2)] and [Pd(1(n))] (n = 12, 14, 16) are not mesomorphic. However, the tetracatenar complex [Zn-2(2(16))(2)] generates a smectic mesophase, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction, while [Pd(2(16))] and the metal-free ligand H-2(2(16)) show no mesomorphic behaviour. Two of the extended dicatenar compounds, H-2(3(16)) and [Zn-2(3(16))(2)] are non-mesomorphic, while [Pd(3(16))] displays a smectic A phase. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5056-5066
Number of pages11
JournalEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Issue number32
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2008

Keywords

  • Metallomesogens
  • Liquid crystals
  • Helical structures
  • Coordination chemistry
  • Supramolecular chemistry
  • Zinc
  • Palladium
  • Pyrromethane
  • Dipyrrolide
  • DISCOTIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS
  • SUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
  • COLUMNAR MESOMORPHISM
  • PORPHYRIN OCTAESTERS
  • MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE
  • PHASE-BEHAVIOR
  • ALKOXY CHAINS
  • COMPLEXES
  • LIGANDS
  • MESOPHASES

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