Polynuclear Silver(I) Triazole Complexes: Ion Conduction and Nanowire Formation in the Mesophase.

Examples of polynuclear metallomesogens are few. Herein,1,2,4-triazole ligands were used to prepare mono- and polynuclear silver(I) triazole metallomesogens. Besides showing an SmA phase in the mesophase, two interesting properties were observed.

Tetranuclear silver(I) clusters showing high ionic conductivity in a bicontinuous cubic mesophase.

The synthesis and characterization of tetranuclear silver triazole metallomesogens, [Ag4(L(4)-C(n))6][BF4]4 (L(4)-C(n) = 4-alkyl-1,2,4-triazoles where C(n) stands for C(n)H(2n+1) with n = 12, 14, 16, and 18), are reported. Upon heating, a phase transition sequence of Cr → SmC → Cub → SmA → isotropic liquid is observed for all of these compounds. Depending on the alkyl chain length, two types of cubic phases are found in this series of compounds.

Vertex and edge truncated octahedron gold crystals. N-alkylimidazole and silver(I) ion controlled morphology transformation.

Two interesting morphology transformations of Au crystals are observed through reacting a mixture of N-alkylimidazole (denoted as C(n)-im, where C(n) = C(n)H(2n+1), and n = 18 and 1), AgNO(3), and HAuCl(4) at 200 degrees C. The long chain C(18)-im with increasing AgNO(3) concentration leads to a progressive truncation of octahedrons at {100} vertices to produce cubes. On the other hand, increasing the concentrations of C(1)-im and AgNO(3), results in a progressive truncation of octahedrons at {110} edges to give rhombic dodecahedrons, which further transform to the unprecedented tetrahexahedrons.