Heteroligand molecular "stirrups" using conformationally flexible ditopic pyridyl-pyrazolyl ligands

Inorg Chem. 2009 Aug 17;48(16):7525-7. doi: 10.1021/ic9010967.

Abstract

Heteroligand molecular "stirrups" form by the self-assembly of flexible ditopic ligands in combination with 4,4'-bipyridine and [(dppp)Pd)](2+). Crystallographic analysis shows that the ligands, bis[3-(4-pyridyl)pyrazolyl]-m-xylene (mXy(4py3pz)) and bis[4-(4-pyridyl)pyrazolyl]-p-xylene (pXy(4py4pz)) form complexes of the type [{(dppp)Pd}(2)(4,4'-bipy)(L)].4OTf (1.4OTf and 2.4OTf, respectively) in the solid state, with remarkably similar structures considering the differences in substitution patterns between the two ligands. The self-assembly of both 1(4+) and 2(4+) is assisted by face-to-face pi interactions on the exterior of the macrocycle between the phenyl rings of the dppp ligands and the pyridyl groups of the ditopic ligands.