A Molecular Triangle as a Precursor Toward the Assembly
of a Jar-Shaped Metallasupramolecule
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Abstract
The
reaction of Re<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>10</sub> and 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole
in toluene afforded the molecular triangle [Re<sub>3</sub>(μ<sub>2</sub>-Im)<sub>3</sub>(CO)<sub>12</sub>] (<b>1</b>; Im = imidazolate).
This air-stable complex <b>1</b> acted as a precursor, which
could then be further transformed into the complex [{Re(CO)<sub>3</sub>}<sub>3</sub>(μ<sub>2</sub>-Im)<sub>3</sub>(μ<sub>3</sub>-L)] (<b>2</b>; L = 1,3,5-tris(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene)
upon reaction with the flexible
ligand L under solvothermal conditions. Complex <b>2</b> can
also be produced directly in a one-pot reaction from Re<sub>2</sub>(CO)<sub>10</sub>, 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole, and the flexible
ligand L. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showed that
compound <b>1</b> has a triangular-shaped structure, which is
the smallest rhenium triangle known, as of this writing. Complex <b>2</b> adopted a jar-shaped structure. The photophysical properties
of complexes <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> were studied
