Although salen and its analogues are versatile chelate ligands in inorganic and organometallic chemistry, synthesis of unsymmetrical salen derivatives consisting of two different salicylideneimine moieties is difficult because of the C=N bond recombination. To develop stable analogues of salen-type ligands, we synthesized a series of new ligands salamo (=1,2-bis(salicylideneaminooxy)ethane) on the basis of O-alkyl oxime instead of the imine moiety. Eight salamo ligands 1a-h were prepared in 64-88% yields as colorless crystals from the corresponding salicylaldehydes 2a-h. The crystal structure of 1a-c suggests that the oxime-OH form is more predominant than the keto-NH form. The reaction of 2a-e with excess 1,2-bis(aminooxy)ethane gave monooximes 3a-e in 59-86%, which further reacted with a different salicylaldehyde to afford unsymmetrical salamo ligands 4-8 as stable crystals in 51-70%. No reaction took place when a mixture of salamo derivatives 1a and 1b was treated at 40 degrees C in H2O/MeCN (5:95). However, the metathesis reaction of salen derivatives 9a and 9b completed in 2 h to give a statistical mixture. Monooxime 3b was much more stable than monoimine 11 which is difficult to be isolated. These results indicate the extremely high stability of the salamo derivatives 1 and precursors 3.

We have synthesized an octanuclear zinc(II) cluster [L4Zn8(H2O)3] by the complexation of 3-hydroxysalamo (H4L) with zinc(II) acetate. The complex crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P, with unit cell parameters a = 18.233(10) A, b = 20.518(11) A, c = 21.366(11) A, alpha = 98.7557(2) degrees, beta = 99.191(11) degrees, gamma = 108.309(10) degrees, and Z = 4. The crystallographic analysis revealed the S4 symmetrical assembling of four ligands and that the tetrameric complex has three water molecules in an unsymmetrical fashion. Spectroscopic analysis of the complex strongly suggests that the octanuclear cluster also exists in solution and maintains a conformation similar to that in the crystal structure, although exchange of the coordinating water molecules presumably takes place. In addition, the formation process of the octanuclear complex is highly cooperative. A high coordinating ability of the [(salamo)Zn] unit as well as the catecholato2- moieties probably stabilizes the octanuclear assembly and makes the complexation process cooperative. The corresponding octanuclear cobalt(II) cluster [L4Co8(EtOH)3] was prepared in a similar manner. Complex [L4Co8(H2O)2X] (X = H2O or EtOH) was obtained by the recrystallization from chloroform/hexane. The complex crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P, with unit cell parameters a = 15.2359(10) A, b = 16.9625(12) A, c = 18.9325(13) A, alpha = 101.9710(10) degrees, beta = 105.5410(10) degrees, gamma = 97.1290(10) degrees, and Z = 2. Temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility showed a continuous decrease in the chi(M)T value with decreasing temperature, suggesting antiferromagnetic interaction among cobalt(II) ions. The magnetic susceptibility above 40 K obeys the Curie-Weiss law with a Weiss constant theta of -39 K and a Curie constant C of 19.7 cm(3) K mol(-1).

Activated perethylated pillar[5]arene crystals show an unexpected alkane-shape- and -length-selective gate-opening behavior. Activated crystals were obtained upon removing solvents from perethylated pillar[5]arene crystals by heating. The activated crystals could quantitatively take up n-alkanes with carbon chains containing more than five carbon atoms as a consequence of their gate-opening pressure. As the chain length of the n-alkanes increased, the gate pressure decreased. A transformation into a herringbone structure was induced when n-hexane was used as a guest. By contrast, cyclic and branched alkanes were not taken up and could not induce a crystal transformation because they were too large to fit in the cavities of the pillar[5]arene. Alkane-shape-selective molecular recognition of pillar[5]arenes in the solution state was translated into the vapor/crystal state.

Activated crystals of pillar[6]arene produced by removing the solvent upon heating were able to take up branched and cyclic alkane vapors as a consequence of their gate-opening behavior. The uptake of branched and cyclic alkane vapors by the activated crystals of pillar[6]arene induced a crystal transformation to form one-dimensional channel structures. However, the activated crystals of pillar[6]arene hardly took up linear alkane vapors because the cavity size of pillar[6]arene is too large to form stable complexes with linear alkanes. This shape-selective uptake behavior of pillar[6]arene was further utilized for improving the research octane number of an alkane mixture of isooctane and n-heptane: interestingly, the research octane number was dramatically improved from a low research octane number (17 %) to a high research octane number (>99 %) using the activated crystals of pillar[6]arene.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) [1][2][3][4][5][6] are chemically and physically interesting compounds that exhibit hitherto unobserved magnetic properties. To prevent reversal of the molecular magnetic moment, the use of heavy lanthanide ions is becoming popular because of their large spin multiplicity and large magnetic anisotropies in the ground state. [3][4][5][6] Lanthanide ions exhibit flexibility in magnetic anisotropy, which is another advantage of Ln III -based SMMs that is attributable to the flexible design and control of the ligandfield (LF) anisotropy. These anisotropies are correlated through Stevens factor q m as B [ We found that phenoxo oxygen donors have higher negative charges than other donor atoms.[5] To achieve an equatorial LF, we focused on the macrocyclic Schiff base and oxime ligands shown in Scheme 1, which provide a metallacrown coordination environment [3j, 8] for the central metal ion with six phenoxo oxygen donors and have a rigid and planar framework owing to the p-conjugated moieties. The ligands are formed by condensation of 2,3-dihydroxybenzene-1,4-dicarbaldehyde and a diamine in the presence of metal ions as templates. The six phenoxo oxygen atoms are in equatorial positions around a central Ln III ion, and hence an equatorial LF is produced. We have reported syntheses and structures of mixed-metal tetranuclear complexes constructed with L2 6À , [9] of which the oxime ligand showed a slight deviation from an ideal plane because of the longer NÀN distance of the diamine. Hence, we decided to employ an ethylenediamine derivative to achieve a more planar structure of the complex.The wheel-shaped tetranuclear complex [Er III Zn II 3 (L1)-(OAc)(NO 3 ) 2 (H 2 O) 1.5 (MeOH) 0.5 ] (1) was synthesized by reaction of Er(NO 3 ) 3 ·6 H 2 O, 2,3-dihydroxybenzene-1,4-dicarbaldehyde, (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine, and Zn-(OAc) 2 ·2 H 2 O in 1:3:3:3 ratio (see Experimental Section; Scheme 1. Structures of macrocyclic ligands.

We have designed a new type of bis(N2O2) chelate ligand that affords a C-shaped O6 site on the metalation of the N2O2 sites. UV-vis and 1H NMR titration clearly showed that the complexation between H4L and zinc(II) acetate affords 1:3 complex [LZn3]2+ via a highly cooperative process. Although the O6-recognition site of the dinuclear metallohost [LZn2] is filled with the additional Zn2+, the O6 site can bind a guest ion with concomitant release of the initially bound Zn2+. The novel recognition process "guest exchange" took place quantitatively when rare earth metals were used as a guest. In the case of alkaline earth metals, selectivity of Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+ >> Mg2+ was observed. On the other hand, the transmetalation did not take place at all when alkali metals were used for the guest. Accordingly, the trinuclear complex [LZn3]2+ is excellent in discriminating charge of the guest ions. The metallohost-guest complexes thus obtained have a helical structure, and the radius d and winding angle theta of the helix depend on the size of the guest. The La3+ complex has the smallest theta (288 degrees), and the Sc3+ complex has the largest theta (345 degrees). Because the radius and winding angles of helices are tunable by changing the guest ion, the helical metallohost-guest complexes are regarded as a molecular spring or coil. Consequently, site-specific metal exchange of trinuclear complex [LZn3]2+ described here will be utilized for highly selective ion recognition, site-selective synthesis of (3d)2(4f) trimetallic complexes, and construction of "tunable" metallohelicenes.

Novel ligands 1,2-bis(salicylideneaminooxy)ethanes were synthesized. They were much more stable against exchange reactions of aldehyde units than the corresponding salen derivatives. They form stable complexes with a copper(II) ion, whose structures were crystallographically determined. Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies indicated that the complexes have lower LUMO levels than salen analogues.

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