The Complex Coordination Landscape of a Digold(I) U‐Shaped Metalloligand

Abstract

A U‐shaped di‐gold metallotweezer with two pyrene‐imidazolylidene edges and a xanthenyl‐bis‐alkynyl connector was prepared. This metallotweezer acts as metalloligand in the presence of Cu+, Tl+, or Ag+, showing three clearly distinct coordination patterns depending on the cation used. The coordination to Cu+ leads to a complex in which the metalloligand is coordinated in a pincer form. The reaction with Tl+ affords a complex in which the ligand is acting as a ϰ2‐(trans)‐chelate ligand. The reaction with Ag+ leads to a self‐assembled structure, with two silver cations encased inside the cavity of a duplex structure formed by two self‐assembled metallotweezers.

Shape‐Adaptability and Redox‐Switching Properties of a Di‐Gold Metallotweezer

“…In particular, the anthracenyl‐linked complex 1 showed a great tendency to self‐aggregate in non‐polar solvents and in the presence of cations such as Cu + , Ag + and Tl + [9] . The xanthenyl‐linked complex 2 showed interesting coordinating abilities that were highly dependent on the type of metal used [9b,10] . Finally, the carbazolyl‐linked complex 3 , was able to encapsulate planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), displaying larger associating constants for those planar guests functionalized with groups able to hydrogen bond with the NH group of the carbazolyl spacer [11] .…”