Fourteen Ag( i ), Au( i ), Ni( ii ), Pd( ii ), and Pt( ii ) complexes with macrocyclic tetradentate N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands were prepared via reactions between three macrocyclic tetrabenzimidazolium salts and metal precursors. All except two Au complexes were characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Three different structures, including a trinuclear one containing a NHC–Ag–(H 2 O) moiety and a hexanuclear propeller-like supramolecular assembly, are found for Ag–NHC complexes. Nine complexes of group 10 metal ions adopt square-planar geometry, in which the different ring-sizes of the macrocyclic tetracarbene ligands lead to a variation of metal–carbene bond lengths. π–π stackings are observed between the rigid aromatic benzimidazole rings in the nickel group complexes.
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Aromatic character of [Au 13 ] 5+ and [MAu 12 ] 4+/6+ (M = Pd, Pt) cores in ligand protected gold nanoclusters – interplay between spherical and planar σ-aromatics
The most characteristic feature of planar π-aromatics is the ability to sustain a long-range shielding cone under a magnetic field oriented in a specific direction. In this article, we showed that similar magnetic responses can be found in σ-aromatic and spherical aromatic systems. For [Au 13 ] 5+ , long-range characteristics of the induced magnetic field in the bare icosahedral core are revealed, which are also found in the ligand protected [Au 25 (SH) 18 ] − model, proving its spherical aromatic properties, also supported by the AdNDP analysis. Such properties are given by the 8-ve of the structural core satisfying the Hirsch 2( N + 1) 2 rule, which is also found in the isoelectronic [M@Au 12 ] 4+ core, a part of the [MAu 24 (SR) 18 ] 2− (M = Pd, Pt) cluster. This contrasts with the [M@Au 12 ] 6+ core in [MAu 24 (SR) 18 ] 0 (M = Pd, Pt), representing 6-ve superatoms, which exhibit characteristics of planar σ-aromatics. Our results support the spherical aromatic character of stable superatoms, whereas the 6-ve intermediate electron counts satisfy the 4 N + 2 rule (applicable for both π- and σ-aromatics), showing the reversable and controlled interplay between 3D spherical and 2D σ-aromatic clusters.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1664379
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10196542
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
- Volume:
- 21
- Issue:
- 45
- ISSN:
- 1463-9076
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 25215 to 25219
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CP04477A
