Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.53, No.1, 24-26, 2014
Construction of an M(3)L(2)A(6) Cage with Small Windows from a Flexible Tripodal Ligand and Cu(hfac)(3)
An M(3)L(2)A(6) cage has been prepared with small windows from a tripodal ligand, L, and Cu(hfac)(2). Cold spray ionization mass spectrometry of a mixture of L and Cu(hfac)(2) revealed the formation of a Cu(3)L(2)hfac(6) cage in solution. X-ray crystallography showed that the Cu(3)L(2)hfac(6) cage included neutral molecules such as THF and CHCl3. Furthermore, the six hfac anions have been shown to play an important role in holding neutral guest molecules securely in place.