Self‐Assembly of four Ni₁₆ Molecular Wheels with Capsule and Tubular Supramolecular Architectures

Abstract

Four new Ni16 molecular wheels with the general formula [L4Ni16(RCOO)16(H2O)x(MeOH)12‐x] (where H4L = 1,4‐bis((E)‐((2’‐hydroxybenzyl)imino)methyl)‐2,3‐naphthalenediol, and R = H or Me) have been isolated and structurally characterised. Complexes C1 – C3 (R = Me)were formed using nickel(II) acetate and presented as polymorphs with the same formulation of charged components. The same wheel‐like architecture was observed in C4 (R = H), which was prepared using nickel(II) formate, demonstrating the potential for further versatility of the system. In contrast to similar four‐fold symmetric Ni(II) wheel clusters, measurements of the static magnetic properties of C1 indicated the presence of dominant antiferromagnetic interactions and an S = 0 ground state.