title: Methanolysis as a route to gallium(III) clusters: synthesis and structural characterization of a decanuclear molecular wheel.
abstract: Treatment of a methanolic solution of gallium(III) nitrate with lithium hydroxide in the presence of benzilic acid resulted in the decanuclear cluster [Ga(OMe)2{O2CC(OH)Ph2}]10 (1). The metal and the organic components have assembled to form a cyclic molecule that adopts the structure of a wheel. The 10 Ga(III) ions are approximately coplanar and are coordinated in a distorted octahedral manner by six oxygen atoms. The integrity of the molecular wheel is retained in solution, as evidenced by the 1NMR spectrum of 1 in DMSO-d6, while no signal in the 71Ga NMR could be detected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras GR 265 04, Greece.
authors.forename: Giannis S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Papaefstathiou
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manessi
authors.forename: Catherine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Raptopoulou
authors.forename: Aris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terzis
authors.forename: Theodoros F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Zafiropoulos