Tetramine Aspect Ratio and Flexibility Determine Framework Symmetry for Zn L Self-Assembled Structures.

We derive design principles for the assembly of rectangular tetramines into Zn L pseudo-cubic coordination cages. Because of the rectangular, as opposed to square, geometry of the ligand panels, and the possibility of either Δ or Λ handedness of each metal center at the eight corners of the pseudo-cube, many different cage diastereomers are possible. Each of the six tetra-aniline subcomponents investigated in this work assembled with zinc(II) and 2-formylpyridine in acetonitrile into a single Zn L pseudo-cube diastereomer, however.

Beyond Platonic: How to Build Metal-Organic Polyhedra Capable of Binding Low-Symmetry, Information-Rich Molecular Cargoes.

The field of metallosupramolecular chemistry has advanced rapidly in recent years. Much work in this area has focused on the formation of hollow self-assembled metal-organic architectures and exploration of the applications of their confined nanospaces. These discrete, soluble structures incorporate metal ions as 'glue' to link organic ligands together into polyhedra.