Unravelling the Molecular Structure and Confining Environment of an Organometallic Catalyst Heterogenized within Amorphous Porous Polymers.

The catalytic activity of multifunctional, microporous materials is directly linked to the spatial arrangement of their structural building blocks. Despite great achievements in the design and incorporation of isolated catalytically active metal complexes within such materials, a detailed understanding of their atomic-level structure and the local environment of the active species remains a fundamental challenge, especially when these latter are hosted in non-crystalline organic polymers. Here, we show that by combining computational chemistry with pair distribution function analysis, Xe NMR, and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization enhanced NMR spectroscopy, a very accurate description of the molecular structure and confining surroundings of a catalytically active Rh-based organometallic complex incorporated inside the cavity of amorphous bipyridine-based porous polymers is obtained.

Finding the Sweet Spot of Photocatalysis─A Case Study Using Bipyridine-Based CTFs.

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are a class of porous organic polymers that continuously attract growing interest because of their outstanding chemical and physical properties. However, the control of extended porous organic framework structures at the molecular scale for a precise adjustment of their properties has hardly been achieved so far. Here, we present a series of bipyridine-based CTFs synthesized through polycondensation, in which the sequence of specific building blocks is well controlled.

Rhodium-Based Metal-Organic Polyhedra Assemblies for Selective CO Photoreduction.

Heterogenization of molecular catalysts via their immobilization within extended structures often results in a lowering of their catalytic properties due to a change in their coordination sphere. Metal-organic polyhedra (MOP) are an emerging class of well-defined hybrid compounds with a high number of accessible metal sites organized around an inner cavity, making them appealing candidates for catalytic applications. Here, we demonstrate a design strategy that enhances the catalytic properties of dirhodium paddlewheels heterogenized within MOP (Rh-MOP) and their three-dimensional assembled supramolecular structures, which proved to be very efficient catalysts for the selective photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid.

Molecular Porous Photosystems Tailored for Long-Term Photocatalytic CO Reduction.

The molecular-level structuration of two full photosystems into conjugated porous organic polymers is reported. The strategy of heterogenization gives rise to photosystems which are still fully active after 4 days of continuous illumination. Those materials catalyze the carbon dioxide photoreduction driven by visible light to produce up to three grams of formate per gram of catalyst.

An Asymmetrically Substituted Aliphatic Bis-Dithiolene Mono-Oxido Molybdenum(IV) Complex With Ester and Alcohol Functions as Structural and Functional Active Site Model of Molybdoenzymes.

A Mo mono-oxido bis-dithiolene complex, [MoO(mohdt)] (mohdt = 1-methoxy-1-oxo-4-hydroxy-but-2-ene-2,3-bis-thiolate) was synthesized as a structural and functional model for molybdenum oxidoreductase enzymes of the DMSO reductase family. It was comprehensively characterized by various spectroscopic methods and employed as an oxygen atom transfer (OAT) catalyst. The ligand precursor of mohdt was readily prepared by a three-step synthesis starting from dimethyl-but-2-ynedioate.

Synthesis, characterization and oxygen atom transfer reactivity of a pair of Mo(iv)O- and Mo(vi)O-enedithiolate complexes - a look at both ends of the catalytic transformation.

Two new molybdenum complexes (BuN)[MoO(ntdt)] (1) and (PhP)[MoO(ntdt)] (2) (ntdt = 2-naphthyl-1,4-dithiolate) were synthesized using asymmetric dithiolene precursors and were characterized as structural models for the active site of arsenite oxidase, a molybdopterin bearing enzyme. The ligand was obtained readily by a two-step synthesis starting from 2-bromo-2'-acetonapthone. Complexes 1 and 2 were obtained by reaction of the resulting 4-naphthyl-1,3-dithiol-2-one with metal precursors trans-[MoO(CN)] and cis-[MoO(NCS)] respectively.

Post-synthetic metalation in an anionic MOF for efficient catalytic activity and removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution.

A new 3D porous anionic MOF (AMOF-1) based on Zn(II) and a flexible tetracarboxylate linker has been synthesized. AMOF-1 showed potential for capture and removal of toxic metal ions from aqueous solution with a detection limit in the ppm level. The Cu(II)@AMOF-1' hybrid obtained by post-synthetic metalation is studied as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives.

The ring opening reaction of 1,3-dithiol-2-one systems is fully reversible.

The deprotection of a common precursor moiety in dithiolene chemistry was discovered to be fully reversible, which, besides being relevant for researchers working in very different fields with these non-innocent ligand systems, may even have an impact on CO2 housekeeping, as the deprotected ligand acts as an efficient trap.

The unexpected and facile molybdenum mediated formation of tri- and tetracyclic pentathiepins from pyrazine-alkynes and sulfur.

The synthesis of a novel family of pentathiepino-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine derivatives is reported. These compounds are formed by the reaction of alkynyl-substituted heterocyclic precursors with elemental sulfur in the presence of molybdenum oxo bis-tetrasulfide under very mild conditions.

A metal-organic framework with highly polar pore surfaces: selective CO2 adsorption and guest-dependent on/off emission properties.

A 3D porous Zn(II) metal-organic framework {[Zn(2)(H(2)dht)(dht)(0.5)(azpy)(0.5)(H(2)O)]·4H(2)O} (1; H(2)dht=dihydroxyterphthalate, azpy=4,4'-azobipyridine) has been synthesised by employing 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H(4)dht), a multidentate ligand and 4,4'-azobipyridine by solvent-diffusion techniques at room temperature.

A vanadium (VO2+) metal-organic framework: selective vapor adsorption, magnetic properties, and use as a precursor for a polyoxovanadate.

The reaction of VOSO(4) with 2-carboxyethylphosphonic acid (H(2)-CEP) in presence of piperazine (PIP) produces a 3D inorganic-organic hybrid framework, {(H(2)PIP)(0.5)[VO(CEP)]·H(2)O} (1) with bidirectional channels occupied by the H(2)PIP cations and H(2)O molecules. The PO(3)(2-) unit of CEP connects three V(IV) centers to generate a 1D ladder, which is further linked to four such ladders by the CEP linkers to form a 3D hybrid framework.