The monomer <--> oligomer interconversion of the reported metal complexes is generated by proton abstraction/supply as a common external information input. The mononuclear copper(II) complexes 1 and 2 with [CuCl(2)(HL(n)())] chemical formula have been prepared (HL(1) = N-(2-methylimidazol-4-ylmethylidene)-2-aminoethylpyridine; HL(2) = N-(2-phenylimidazol-4-ylmethylidene)-2-aminoethylpyridine). The crystal structures were determined. 1.H(2)O, C(12)H(16)N(4)OCl(2)Cu: a = 13.773(2) Å, b = 8.245(2) Å, c = 13.861(2) Å, beta = 110.10(1) degrees, monoclinic, P2(1)/n, and Z = 4. 2, C(17)H(16)N(4)Cl(2)Cu: a = 7.6659(7) Å, b = 16.287(1) Å, c = 14.103(1) Å, beta = 95.058(7) degrees, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, and Z = 4. Complexes 1.H(2)O and 2 assume a pentacoordinated square pyramidal geometry with a N(3)Cl(2) donor set consisting of the nitrogen atoms of the protonated tridentate ligand and two chloride ions in the solid state, while in aqueous solution the Cu(II) ion is tetracoordinated (N(3)Ow donor set). When 1 and 2 are treated with an equimolar amount of sodium hydroxide or triethylamine, the deprotonation of the imidazole moiety promotes a self-assembly process, arising from coordination of the imidazolate nitrogen atom to a Cu(II) ion of an adjacent unit, to yield compounds 1'.4H(2)O as the perchlorate salt, and 2'a.6H(2)O as the perchlorate salt and( )()2'b as the hexafluorophosphate salt, respectively. 1'.4H(2)O, C(12)H(15)N(4)O(5)ClCu: a = b = 13.966(2) Å, c = 33.689(3) Å, tetragonal, I4(1)/a, and Z = 16. 2'a.6H(2)O, C(51)H(51)N(12)O(15)Cl(3)Cu(3): a = 15.177(3) Å, b = 15.747(3) Å, c = 14.128(3) Å, alpha = 100.06(2) degrees, beta = 110.37(2) degrees, gamma = 63.54(1) degrees, triclinic, P&onemacr;, and Z = 2. 2'b, C(17)H(15)N(9)F(6)PCu: a = b = 29.812(5) Å, c = 11.484(3) Å, trigonal, R&thremacr;, and Z = 18. The nuclearity of the self-assembled molecules and their detailed structure were confirmed to be cyclic imidazolate-bridged tetranuclear for 1'.4H(2)O and hexanuclear for 2'a.6H(2)O and 2'b, respectively, through single-crystal X-ray analyses and FAB-MS spectra. Variable-temperature experimental magnetic susceptibility data were well reproduced by using the Heisenberg model based on a cyclic tetranuclear structure for 1' and a cyclic hexanuclear structure for 2'a and 2'b. The reversible interconversion between the protonated monomeric and deprotonated oligomeric species were confirmed by pH-dependent potentiometric and electronic spectral titrations in aqueous solution, whereas the Pd(II) complex did not show a perfect disassembly process.

The copper(II) complexes of protonated pentadentate Schiff-base ligands with [Cu(H(2)L(n))](ClO(4))(2) formula (n = 3-6, 3-6) have been synthesized and characterized (H(2)L(3) = N-((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-3-aminpropyl-N'-((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-4'-aminobutylamine, H(2)L(4) = N-((2-phenylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-3-aminpropyl-N'-((2-phenyl-imidazol-4-yl)methylene)-4'-aminobutylamine, H(2)L(5) = N,N'-bis((2-phenylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-3,3'-diaminodipropylmethylamine, H(2)L(6) = N-((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-2-aminoethyl-N'-((2-methylimidazol-4-yl)methylene)-3'-aminopropylamine. The mono-deprotonated complexes 3', 4', and 5' contain one imidazole and one imidazolate groups per unit and are Delta (clockwise) or Lambda (anticlockwise) enantiomorphs due to the spiral arrangement of the ligand around copper(II) ion. They function as chiral building components for a self-assembly process resulting from the formation of hydrogen bonds between the imidazole and imidazolate groups of adjacent units to yield 1D zigzag-chain structures. The distance between hydrogen-bonded nitrogen atoms is 2.81(2), 2.832(9), and 2.875(9) Å for 3', 4', and 5', respectively. The crystal lattice of 3' yielded either.DeltaDeltaDelta. or.LambdaLambdaLambda. isotactic 1D zigzag-chains, while the crystal lattices of 4' and 5' yielded.DeltaLambdaDeltaLambda. syndiotactic 1D zigzag-chains. In 3', two adjacent methyl groups at the 2-position connected by hydrogen bond array in the same direction, thus allowing homochiral aggregation of the complex molecules in a 1D chain. On the other hand, in 4' and 5', two adjacent bulky phenyl groups require opposite orientations, thus allowing heterochiral aggregation. Enantioselective aggregation with homochirality or heterochirality can thus be controlled with suitable substituents. While its mononuclear precursor 6 is pentacoordinated with the N(5) donor set of the pentadentate ligand H(2)L(6), the deprotonated complex 6' has an imidazolate-bridged tetranuclear cyclic structure with a Cu-Cu distance of 6.086(2) Å. The ligand in 6' is tetradentate and includes an hexahydropyrimidine ring resulting from a deprotonation induced rearrangement reaction.