title: Anion-templated formation of supramolecular multinuclear assemblies.
abstract: The use of anions as supramolecular building motifs is reported herein. The interaction of various anions with [Zn(salphen)] complexes (salphen = N,N'-phenylenebis(salicylideneimine)) has been studied, with a particular focus on assembly formation in the presence of acetate anions. Strong association of the latter with the Zn metal centre of the salphen complex was quantified by UV/Vis titration studies. The [Zn(salphen)]-OAc assemblies were further characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis and revealed that the acetate anions can function as bridging modules between two [Zn(salphen)] units. The binding strength of a second complex to the acetate anion may be regulated by the substitution pattern of the salphen ligand. The anion-templated assembly formation was further demonstrated by the supramolecular synthesis of a trinuclear Zn(3) assembly. These results hold promise for the directed assembly formation of [Zn(salphen)] complexes with biologically relevant carboxylates, such as amino acids, and potentially new bio-sensing materials.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Av. Països Catalans 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sander J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wezenberg
authors.forename: Eduardo C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Escudero-Adán
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benet-Buchholz
authors.forename: Arjan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Kleij
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015032:Zinc