Extended three-dimensional supramolecular architectures derived from trinuclear (bis-beta-diketonato)copper(II) metallocycles.

Neutral trinuclear (triangular) copper(II) complexes of type [Cu3L3] incorporating the 1,4-aryl linked bis-beta-diketonato bridging ligands, 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(butane-1,3-dione) (H2L2), 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(pentane-1,3-dione) (H2L3) and 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(4,4-dimethylpentane-1,3-dione) (H2L4) have been demonstrated to react with selected heterocyclic nitrogen donor bases to generate extended supramolecular architectures whose structures have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Thus on reaction with 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy), [Cu3(L2)3] yields polymeric structures of type {[Cu3(L2)3(bipy)(THF)] x 2.75THF}n and {[Cu3(L2)3(bipy)(THF)] x bipy x 0.75THF}(n) while with pyrazine (pyz), {[Cu3(L2)3(pyz)] x 0.5THF}n was obtained. Each of these extended structures contain alternating triangle/linker units in a one-dimensional polymeric chain arrangement in which two of the three copper sites in each triangular 'platform' are formally five-coordinate through binding to a heterocyclic nitrogen atom. Interaction of the multifunctional linker unit hexamethylenetetramine (hmt) with [Cu3(L3)3] afforded an unusual, chiral, three-dimensional molecular framework of stoichiometry [Cu3(L3)3(hmt)]n. The latter incorporates the trinuclear units coordinated to three triply bridging hmt units. In marked contrast to the formation of the above structures incorporating bifunctional linker units and five-coordinate metal centres, the trinuclear platform [Cu3(L2)3] reacts with the stronger difunctional base 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-octane (dabco) to yield a highly symmetric trigonal columnar species of type {[Cu3(L4)3(dabco)3] x 3H2O}n in which each copper centre is octahedrally coordinated.