Calix[4]arenes of aluminum and gallium with benzimidazolyl ligands: steric control of the conformation via substitution on the ligand

Inorg Chem. 2012 Dec 3;51(23):12834-40. doi: 10.1021/ic301718m. Epub 2012 Nov 13.

Abstract

Complexes [bzimAlR(2)](4) [bzim = benzimidazolate; R = Et (2), (i)Bu (3)], [mbzimAlR(2)](4) [mbzim = 2-methylbenzimidazolate; R = Et (6), (i)Bu (7)], [dmbzimAlR(2)](4) [dmbzim = 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolate; R = Me (9), Et (10), (i)Bu (11)], and [tmbzimAlR(2)](4) [tmbzim = 2,5,6-trimethylbenzimidazolate; R = Me (12), Et (13), (i)Bu (14)] have been prepared via alkane elimination and coordinative self-assembly upon the reaction of benzimidazole ligands with aluminum alkyls in benzene, toluene, or xylene. Characterization of the complexes was achieved by spectroscopic methods, microanalysis, and X-ray crystallography of 2, 7, 10, 11, 13, and 14. The complexes reported herein and the aluminum and gallium analogues 1, 4, 5, and 8 reported in a previous paper (1) are predominantly tetranuclear aggregates related to calix[4]arenes in which the benzimidazolyl ligands bind two metal atoms in a η(1):η(1) fashion. X-ray crystallography demonstrates that modulation of the conformation adopted by these metallacalix[4]arenes is achieved by proper substitution on the C atom at the 2 position of the benzimidazolyl ligand. An H substituent for 1, 2, 4, 10, and 11 favors a chair conformation with a small cavity and approximate C(2h) symmetry, while a CH(3) substituent for 5, 7, 8, 13, and 14 introduces enough repulsion to switch the conformation to a 1,3-alternate or double cone with a concomitant larger cavity and approximate C(2v) symmetry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aluminum / chemistry*
  • Benzimidazoles / chemistry*
  • Calixarenes / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Gallium / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Phenols / chemistry*

Substances

  • Benzimidazoles
  • Ligands
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Phenols
  • calix(4)arene
  • Calixarenes
  • Gallium
  • Aluminum