Self-assembly of a metal-organic cage-like structure bearing cofacial redox-active bis-(-semiquinone) copper(II) units.

Ditopic di--quinone with a resorcinol bridge exhibits the ability to self-assemble in a reaction with copper, giving a cage-like binuclear complex that, due to the cofacially placed metal ions, is capable of encapsulation of different solvent molecules as guest ligands. Notably, the geometry of the internal cavity of this complex adjusts depending on the coordinating properties of the encapsulated molecule (mono- or bidentate). A feature of this species is that the cage-forming units are copper(II) bis-semiquinonate moieties, capable of undergoing ligand-centered redox transformations.

Regioisomerism in coordination chemistry: oxidative addition of a bifunctional ligand to palladium, stabilized with 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane.

A unique phenomenon of regioisomerism in coordination chemistry was discovered: the reaction of a sterically hindered o-quinone annelated with a dithiete ring with Pddba in the presence of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) gave a mixture of two regioisomers: catecholate 3Cat and dithiolate 3Dit. Both isomers were isolated in crystalline form and characterized by NMR, IR and X-ray diffractometry studies. DFT calculations reveal that the 3Dit species is more thermodynamically stable than the isomer 3Cat.

New sterically-hindered o-quinones annelated with metal-dithiolates: regiospecificity in oxidative addition reactions of a bifacial ligand to the Pd and Pt complexes.

An unusual reactivity of sterically hindered o-quinones with an annelated dithiete ring towards coordination at a dithiolene site has been discovered. New Pd and Pt dithiolate complexes have been synthesized. The reaction proceeds regioselectively, and the quinone site of the parent ligand is not affected even while using an excess of the metal complex.