Single crystals are typically brittle, inelastic materials. Such mechanical responses limit their use in practical applications, particularly in flexible electronics and optical devices. Here we describe single crystals of a well-known coordination compound-copper(II) acetylacetonate-that are flexible enough to be reversibly tied into a knot. Mechanical measurements indicate that the crystals exhibit an elasticity similar to that of soft materials such as nylon, and thus display properties normally associated with both hard and soft matter. Using microfocused synchrotron radiation, we mapped the changes in crystal structure that occur on bending, and determined the mechanism that allows this flexibility with atomic precision. We show that, under strain, the molecules in the crystal reversibly rotate, and thus reorganize to allow the mechanical compression and expansion required for elasticity and still maintain the integrity of the crystal structure.

A critical review of the current understanding of elastically flexible molecular crystals is presented. A set of criteria are proposed to define an elastically flexible crystal, so that these materials may find applications among future technologies.

Metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Cu, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Au–Pd alloyetc.) supported on inert support (ZrO2, zeolite) can be direct photocatalysts to series of organic synthesis with visible light irradiation.

Radical assembly: Halogen bonding has been observed for the first time between an isoindoline nitroxide and an iodoperfluorocarbon (see figure), which cocrystallize to form a discrete 2:1 supramolecular compound in which N--O(.)I halogen bonding is the dominant intermolecular interaction. This illustrates the potential use of halogen bonding and isoindoline nitroxide tectons for the assembly of organic spin systems.The isoindoline nitroxide 1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl (TMIO) and 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene readily form a discrete 2:1 complex that shows evidence of relatively strong N--O(.)I halogen bonding. This interaction was characterized in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray analysis, thermal analysis, and vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman), backed by density functional theory calculations. EPR spectroscopy performed on a solution of TMIO in pentafluoroiodobenzene, a halogen-bonding donor, indicates that halogen bonding induces an increase in electron density at the nitroxide nitrogen nucleus and an increase in the nitroxide rotational correlation time. Our findings demonstrate the potential of utilizing halogen-bonding interactions to promote the self-assembly of new isoindoline nitroxide tectons for the preparation of organic spin systems.

A range of 1,3-aryl linked, bis-beta-diketone derivatives (LH2) has been employed to synthesise neutral bis(ligand), dinuclear complexes incorporating square-planar copper(II) and tris(ligand) dinuclear helical derivatives containing octahedral iron(III). The 1H NMR spectra of the free ligands contain singlet peaks at ca. 16.2 ppm, indicative of enolic protons, confirming that the (bis) enol tautomer is present in solution. An X-ray structure of a ligand from the series incorporating tert-butyl terminal substituents confirms that the same tautomer persists in the solid and that the relative orientation of the bis-beta-diketone fragments is such that the coordination vectors lie at approximately 120 degrees to each other. The planar, dinuclear copper complexes form 1 : 2 adducts with pyridine and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine, confirmed by X-ray structures, that incorporate five-coordinate metal centres. Based on this behaviour, the prospect of linking copper centres in the dinuclear complexes using the difunctional heterocyclic bases, 4,4'-bipyridine, 4,4'-trans-azopyridine and pyrazine as co-ligands has been probed. However, 4,4'-bipyridine was observed to coordinate through only one of its heterocyclic nitrogen atoms in the solid state to form a 1 : 2 ([Cu2(L)2]: 4,4'-bipyridine) adduct, analogous to the structures obtained with the above mono-functional nitrogen bases. Nevertheless, an X-ray structure determination shows that the related difunctional base, 4,4'-trans-azopyridine, coordinates in a bridging fashion via both its heterocyclic nitrogen atoms on alternate sides of each planar [Cu2(L)2] unit to produce an infinite one dimensional metallo chain. In contrast, with pyrazine, a new neutral, discrete assembly of type [Cu4(L)4(pyrazine)2] is formed. The X-ray structure shows that two planar dinuclear complexes are linked by two pyrazine molecules in a sandwich arrangement such that the coordination environment of each copper ion is approximately square pyramidal with the overall tetranuclear structure thus taking the form of a 'dimer of dimers'.

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Excellent conjugation: The novel azoporphyrins (1,2‐bis(porphyrinyl)diazenes) have been prepared by using copper‐catalyzed coupling of primary amines. The structure of the azo(triphenylporphyrin) was determined by X‐ray crystallography (see picture). The azo linker provides an excellent conjugating pathway for expansion of porphyrin π conjugation.