Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.48, No.14, 6338-6340, 2009
Combining Dynamic Heteroleptic Complex Formation with Constitutional Dynamic Synthesis: A Facile Way to M3LL' Cage Assemblies
The quantitative preparation of heteroleptic copper(I) complexes arising from a combination of 2,9-diarylphenanthrolines and iminopyridines (Schiff bases) is described. This strategy was applied to construct mono- and binuclear complexes but equally a discrete three-dimensional M3LL' cage. By means of a constitutional dynamic synthesis, the heteroleptic aggregates were equally prepared from four-component mixtures using the copper(I) center as a catalyst for the in situ generation of the iminopyridine ligands.