Against the Norm: Non Irving–Williams Transmetalation in Transition Metal Dimers

Salamo‐type ligand H2L was designed and synthesized and reacted with Cu (II) and Zn (II) acetate, respectively, to obtain two binuclear Cu (II) and Zn (II) complexes: [Cu2(L)2]·2CH3OH (1) and [Zn2(L)2] (2) having the same coordination number but distinct geometries. Complex 1 is a Cu (II) complex containing two crystalline ethanol molecules, where two Cu (II) atoms are surrounded by two utterly deprotonated (L)2− parts, forming slightly twisted tetragonal pyramidal configurations of pentacoordinate. In complex 2, two utterly deprotonated (L)2− parts surround two Zn (II) atoms, forming pentadentate twisted triangular bipyramidal configurations. The complexes were elucidated via IR analyses and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Using DFT theoretical calculation, MEPs, IRI, and Hirshfeld surface analysis to investigate further the molecular interactions and reaction sites. Ultimately, the fluorescence characteristics of H2L and its complexes 1 and 2 were discussed.

Structural, spectroscopic, fluorescent, and computational studies of binuclear copper (II) and zinc (II) complexes with an asymmetric salamo‐type ligand

Chai,

Li‐Tong,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Anion‐Modulated Construction of Two Novel Tetra‐ and Hepta‐Nuclear Ni(II) Salamo‐Type Clusters: Comparison of the DFT Calculations and Weak Interaction Analyses

Zhang,

Zheng

et al. 2024

Two novel tetra‐ and hepta‐nuclear Ni(II) salamo‐type clusters, [Ni4(L)2(μ2‐Cl)2(μ3‐OH)2(EtOH)2]⋅4CH2Cl2 (1) and [Ni7(L)3(μ3‐OEt)2(μ3‐OH)6(EtOH)2] (2), were constructed by modulating different anions (Cl− and NO3−). X‐ray crystallographic researches revealed that cluster 1 is a tetranuclear cluster consisting of a symmetric binuclear structure in which chloride ions are involved in coordination. Although cluster 2 consists of seven Ni(II) ions, three deprotonated (L)2− parts, two μ3‐ethoxy groups, six μ3‐OH− anions, and two coordinated ethanol molecules, in which it is quite rare for a large number of water molecules to be deprotonated to participate in the bridging of the cluster due to the alkaline environment. TEM electron scanning displayed the distinct shapes. Comparison of DFT calculations revealed that cluster 2 is less chemically reactive and more kinetically stable, which is in accordance with the analytical results of weak interactions, where the stronger weak interaction forces were presented, the more stable the molecule is. Finally, a comparative analysis of UV–Vis, IR, and fluorescence spectra were carried out.

Supramolecular Self‐Assembly of Novel Double Chloride‐Bridging Trinuclear Ni(II) Mono‐Salamo‐Type Cluster: Experimental and Theoretical Analysis

Yuan,

Chen,

Liu

et al. 2024

A mono‐salamo‐type ligand H2L was prepared to utilize 3‐methoxysalicylaldehyde and a semi‐salamo‐type compound, and its novel trinuclear Ni(II) cluster with two significantly various configurations in the solid state was obtained by reaction of H2L with Ni(II) ions. The trinuclear structure of the Ni(II) cluster was validated by x‐ray technique, and Ni(II) ions exhibited hexa‐coordinated twisted octahedrons. Its structural formula is [Ni3(L)2(μ2‐Cl)2(EtOH)2]. Chloride ions have also successfully double bridged to participate in coordination, and play a critical impact in the trinuclear configuration's stability and charge balance. Two solvent ethanol molecules are also participated in coordination. The coordination ratio of the ligand to the metal ion was verified to be 2:3 by UV–Vis absorption titration spectroscopy. The HOMO and LUMO energies of the frontline molecular orbitals of H2L and the complex were analyzed by DFT calculations, and the energy gap value of the ligand H2L was 4.29 eV, and that of the complex was 0.72 eV. The ligand combined with the metal decreased the energy gap value and produced a more active complex. Furthermore, Hirshfeld surface analysis visualizes the weak interactions of crystalline molecules, and these abundant weak interactions play an especially critical effect in the supramolecular structural self‐assembling. The fluorescent researches proclaimed that the fluorescence intensity of the cluster significantly decreased compared with the ligand, suggesting that this ligand and complex have greater promise for fluorescence sensing.