A series of pentadecanuclear lanthanide-hydroxo complexes possessing a common core of the formula [Ln(15)(mu(3)-OH)(20)(mu(5)-X)](24+)(1, Ln = Eu, X = Cl(-); 2, Ln = Nd, X = Cl(-); 3, Ln = Gd, X = Cl(-); 4, Ln = Pr, X = Br(-); 5, Ln = Eu, X = Br(-)) were prepared by L-tyrosine-controlled hydrolysis of corresponding lanthanide perchlorates in the presence of added Cl(-) or Br(-). The cationic cluster core comprises five vertex-sharing cubane-like [Ln(4)(mu(3)-OH)(4)](8+) units centered on the halide template. In the case of templating I(-), dodecanuclear complexes were isolated instead. The core component, [Ln(12)(mu(3)-OH)(16)(I)(2)](18+) (6, Ln = Dy; 7, Ln = Er), consists of four vertex-sharing cubane-like [Ln(4)(mu(3)-OH)(4)](8+) units and exists as a square-shaped cyclic structure with one I(-) located on each side of the square plane. An analogous hydrolytic reaction involving Er(NO(3))(3), L-tyrosine, and NaOH affords the known hexanuclear complex [Er(6)(mu(6)-O)(mu(3)-OH)(8)(NO(3))(6)(H(2)O)(12)](NO(3))(2) whose core component is a face-capped octahedral [Er(6)(mu(6)-O)(mu(3)-OH)(8)](8+) cluster with an interstitial mu(6)-oxo group (Wang, R.; Carducci, M. D.; Zheng, Z. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 39, 1836-1837.). The efficient self-assembly of halide-encapsulating multicubane complexes (1-7) and the inability to produce an analogous nitrate-containing complex demonstrate the superior templating roles played by the halide ion(s). Further credence for the halide template effects was provided by the isolation of the cationic pentadecanuclear complex 3 as the sole product when tyrosine-supported hydrolysis of Gd(NO(3))(3) was carried out in the presence of competitive Cl(-). Magnetic moments of complexes 1-7 measured at room temperature by using Evans' method are in excellent agreement with those calculated by the Van Vleck equation, assuming magnetically noninteractive lanthanide ions.

Transition metal clusters, by virtue of their well-defined structures and unique properties, present themselves as an attractive class of structural and functional building blocks for molecular and supramolecular construction. Summarized in this Account are highlights of our efforts utilizing face-capped octahedral [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) clusters as the fundamental building units to create a wide variety of preprogrammed architectures. These include molecular "Tinkertoys", featuring stereospecific cluster units bridged by multitopic ligands and extended arrays of clusters engineered via hydrogen bonding and secondary metal-ligand coordination.

A complex containing the face-capped octahedral [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) cluster core, cis-[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)](SbF(6))(2) (1), is used as a ditopic ligand with an enforced right angle between the two 4,4'-dipyridyl moieties for the coordination of Cd(2+) ion. Two coordination polymers, [[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)](2)[Cd(NO(3))(2)]](SbF(6))(4).21C(4)H(10)O.21CH(2)Cl(2) (2) and [[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)][Cd(NO(3))(3)]](NO(3)).2C(4)H(10)O.CH(2)Cl(2) (3), are obtained. The relative concentration of Cd(2+) determines which species is isolated, and the conversion of the first structure into the second is demonstrated experimentally.

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Ligand substitution of [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)(CH(3)CN)](SbF(6))(2) (1) with pyridyl-based ligands, 2,4,6-tri-4-pyridyl-1,3,5-triazine (L1) and 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (L2), produced respectively the star-shaped tricluster (T1) and tetracluster (T2) arrays, wherein three (T1) and four (T2) units of the [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) core-containing clusters are interconnected by the corresponding bridging ligands. These novel supramolecular assemblies were characterized by a combination of NMR ((1)H and (31)P) spectroscopy, ESI-MS, and microanalysis. The molecular and solid-state structures of T1 have also been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Reaction of VO(acac)(2) with 1,2-dithiols in the presence of triethylamine gives pentacoordinate oxovanadium complexes [HNEt(3)](2)[VO(bdt)(2)] (1), [HNEt(3)](2)[VO(tdt)(2)] (2), and [HNEt(3)](2)[VO(bdtCl(2))(2)] (3) (where H(2)bdt = 1,2-benzenedithiol, H(2)tdt = 3,4-toluenedithiol, and H(2)bdtCl(2) = 3,6-dichloro-1,2-benzenedithiol). Compounds 1-3 have been characterized by IR, UV/visible, EPR, and mass spectroscopies. The X-ray crystal stuctures of 1 and 2 show hydrogen-bonding interactions between the terminal oxo atom and triethylammonium counterions and between ligand sulfur atoms and the counterions. These interactions are comparable with those found at the active sites of mononuclear molybdenum enzymes.

Synthetic exploration of K/Cu/Th/S quaternary phase space has yielded three new compounds: KCuThS3 (I), K2Cu2ThS4 (II), and K3Cu3Th2S7 (III). All three phases are semiconductors with optical band gaps of 2.95, 2.17, and 2.49 eV(I-III). Compound I crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm with a = 4.076(1) A, b = 13.864(4) A, and c = 10.541(3) A. Compound II crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m with a = 14.522(1) A, b = 4.026(3) A, and c = 7.566(6) A; beta = 109.949(1) degrees . Compound III crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pbcn with a = 4.051(2) A, b = 14.023(8) A, and c = 24.633(13) A. The compounds are all layered materials, with each layer composed of threads of edge-sharing ThS6 octahedra bridged by CuS4 tetrahedral threads of varying dimension. The layers are separated by well-ordered potassium ions. The relatively wide range of optical band gaps is attributed to the extent of the CuS4 motifs. As the dimension of the CuS4 chains increases, band gaps decrease in the series. All materials were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, microprobe chemical analysis, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (NIR-UV).

The reaction between the previously reported site-differentiated cluster solvate [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)(MeCN)](SbF(6))(2) (1) with pyridyl-based ditopic ligands 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine (2), 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (3), and (E)-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene (4) afforded cluster complexes of the general formula [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)(L)](SbF(6))(2) (5-7), where L represents one of the pyridyl-based ligands. Reacting these cluster complex-based ligands with the fully solvated cluster complex [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(MeCN)(6)](SbF(6))(2) (8) produced dendritic arrays of the general formula {Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)(L)](6)}(SbF(6))(14) (9-11), each featuring six circumjacent [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PEt(3))(5)](2+) units bridged to a [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) core cluster by the pyridyl-based ligands. Electrochemical studies using a thin-layer electrochemical cell revealed cluster-based redox events in these cluster arrays. For 9 (L = 2), one reversible oxidation event corresponding to the removal of 7 electrons was observed, indicating noninteraction or extremely weak interactions between the clusters. For 10 (L = 3), two poorly resolved oxidation waves were found. For 11 (L = 4), two reversible oxidation events, corresponding respectively to the removal of 1 and 6 electrons, were observed with the 1-electron oxidation event occurring at a potential 150 mV more positive than the 6-electron oxidation. These electrochemical studies suggest intercluster coupling in 11 via through-bond electronic delocalization, which is consistent with electronic spectroscopic studies of this same molecule.