title: Bis-imine-cyclometalated macrocycles: synthesis, characterization and observation of solution behaviour.
abstract: A novel class of cyclometalated macrocycles [(Cp*Ir)(2)(R-N=C-C(6)H(2)-C=N-R)(2)](2)(pyrazine)(2)·(OTf)(4) [R = Ph (4a), p-MeOC(6)H(4) (4b), p-MeC(6)H(4) (4c), p-ClC(6)H(4) (4d), Me (4e)]; [(Cp*Rh)(2)(R-N=C-C(6)H(2)-C=N-R)(2)](2)(pyrazine)(2)·(OTf)(4) [R = Ph (4a'), p-MeOC(6)H(4) (4b'), p-MeC(6)H(4) (4c')] and [(Cp*Ir)(2)(R-C=N-C(6)H(4)-N=C-R)(2)](2)(pyrazine)(2)·(OTf)(4) [R = Ph (5a), p-MeOC(6)H(4) (5b)] was stepwise constructed through the double-site C-H activation of aromatic bis-imine substrates. The structures of binuclear complexes and tetranuclear macrocycles were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Isomers were found both in binuclear species and macrocyclic complexes. Flexible substrates led to the existence of isomers for binuclear species, yet gave no isomers after macrocyclic constructions; rigid ones, in contrast, led to isomers only for macrocyclic species. The isomers of tetranuclear macrocycles were thermodynamically stable to reversible transformation on a scale of days. Robust bonding and a certain degree of rigidity were invoked to explain the existence of isomers. This is the first example, to our knowledge, in which coordinated macrocycles containing half-sandwich Cp*M (M = Ir, Rh) fragments have been constructed, without a dynamic reversible process.
authors: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Material, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 200433, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Ying-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Han
authors: Guo-Xin
authors: GX
authors: Jin