Outfitting an aza-crown ether with an organotransition-metal pendant provides a mechanism for tuning its supramolecular properties. The binding affinity can be tuned by more than 2 orders of magnitude by changing the identity of the transition metal-center, altering the overall charge of the complex, or engaging in organometallic ligand substitution reactions. High Li + selectivity (up to 29-fold higher affinity in comparison to Na + ), proton-responsive behavior, and ion pair (ditopic) binding capabilities are observed in the metallacrown ethers.

A unique chain-rupturing transformation that converts an ether functionality into two hydrocarbyl units and carbon monoxide is reported, mediated by iridium(I) complexes supported by aminophenylphosphinite (NCOP) pincer ligands. The decarbonylation,...

Nickel- and palladium-based catalyst systems were developed to convert 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB) to oligomers and polymers with highly controllable molecular weights.