A Family of Cagelike Mn-Silsesquioxane/Bathophenanthroline Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic and Antifungal Activity

Inorg Chem. 2023 Sep 25;62(38):15537-15549. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02040. Epub 2023 Sep 12.

Abstract

This study reports a novel family of cage manganesesilsesquioxanes prepared via complexation with bathophenanthroline (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline). The resulting Mn4-, Mn6Li2-, and Mn4Na-compounds exhibit several unprecedented cage metallasilsesquioxane structural features, including intriguing self-assembly of silsesquioxane ligands. Complexes were tested in vitro for fungicidal activity against seven classes of phytopathogenic fungi. The representative Mn4Na-complex acts as a catalyst in the cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides under solvent-free conditions to form cyclic carbonates in good yields.