Issue 16, 2024

Synthesis, polymorphism, and shape complementarity-induced co-crystallization of hexanuclear Co(ii) clusters capped by a flexible heteroligand shell

Abstract

Polymorphism and co-crystallization have gradually gained attention as new tools in the development of modern crystalline functional materials. However, the study on the selective self-assembly of metal clusters into multicomponent crystals is still in its infancy. Herein, we present the synthesis and characterization of two new heteroleptic hydroxido-acetato and acetato Co(II) clusters [Co6(OH)2(OAc)4(pyret)6] (1) and [Co6(OAc)6(pyret)6] (2) incorporating auxiliary 2-pyrrolidinoethoxylate (pyret) ligands. On this occasion, we revealed that the commonly used thermal procedure for dehydration of cobalt(II) acetate leads to a reagent comprising substantial contamination by cobalt hydroxido moieties. Comprehensive structural analysis of new compounds demonstrated intriguing crystal structure diversity of hydroxido-acetato cluster 1, which represents a rare example of both conformational and packing polymorphism in one compound, originating from the flexibility of organic O,N-ligands in the secondary coordination sphere. Furthermore, both clusters exhibit an interesting propensity for the selective formation of co-crystals 1·2 driven mainly by van der Waals forces and specific shape complementarity between co-formers.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis, polymorphism, and shape complementarity-induced co-crystallization of hexanuclear Co(ii) clusters capped by a flexible heteroligand shell

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Jan 2024
Accepted
27 Mar 2024
First published
28 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Dalton Trans., 2024,53, 7012-7022

Synthesis, polymorphism, and shape complementarity-induced co-crystallization of hexanuclear Co(II) clusters capped by a flexible heteroligand shell

M. Terlecki, A. Kornowicz, K. Sacharczuk, I. Justyniak and J. Lewiński, Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 7012 DOI: 10.1039/D4DT00261J

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