Thermodynamic Parameters Governing the Self-Assembly of Head–Head–Head Lanthanide Bimetallic Helicates

Abstract: The heterobitopic ligands LABX (X=1,2, 3,4 or 5),diff ering only by a Cl or NEt2 substituent,have been designed to complex with a pair of lanthanide ions to form triple-stranded bimetallic helicates of overall composition [Ln2ACHTUNGTRENUNG(LABX)3]6+. The percentage of HHH (head–head–head) isomer,in which each of the three ligand strands coordinates to the same lanthanide ion with the same coordination unit,is deciding the ability of the ligands to selectively form heterobimetallic complexes containing one luminescent and one magnetic or two different luminescent ions. It deviates significantly from the statistical value of 25% and ranges from 6–20% for LAB2 complexes to 93–96% for LAB4 complexes. The equilibrium between HHT (head–head–tail) and HHH isomers has been investigated in detail for homobimetallic helicates (Ln=Y,La,Ce , Pr, Nd,Sm,Eu,Lu) by means of variable temperature NMR and thermodynamic parameters have been determined. The equilibrium is characterized by small values of DH and DS,whic h vary in opposite direction along the lanthanide series for complexes with the same ligand in a way that keeps the value of DG almost constant. The results are interpreted in terms of differences in interstrand stacking,ion–dip ole interactions and metal–metal repulsion.

Heterobimetallic lanthanide helicates

Thomas Binderup Jensen

Based on the ligand LAB the new heterobitopic ligands LAB2, LAB3, LAB4 and LAB5 have been designed and synthesised. The five ligands were designed to selectively form heterobimetallic complexes of composition LnLn'(L)36 when reacted with a pair of lanthanide ions Ln(ClO4)3 and Ln'(ClO4)3 in solution. The benzimidazole-pyridine-benzimidazole (bpb) moiety codes for the larger and softer lanthanide ions, while the benzimidazole-pyridine-amide (bpa) moiety codes for the smaller and harder ions of the lanthanide series. When reacted with 1/3 equivalent La3+ and 1/3 equivalent Lu3+ LAB forms in excess of 90 % [LnLn'(L)3]6+, the percentage being lower for pairs of lanthanide ions closer in size. The substituents on the new ligands modify the hardness of the nitrogen atom of the pyridyl group. The electron donating NEt2 group in LAB2 increases the hardness of the bpa group, which should improve the selectivity of the ligand. A similar improvement was expected for LAB5 in which the electron withdrawing Cl substituent makes the bpb moiety of the ligand softer. The two other new ligands LAB3 and LAB4 were, based on similar arguments, not expected to exhibit improved selectivity and were synthesised for comparison. Due to the tendency of LAB2 and LAB5 to form high proportions of HHT (Head-Head-Tail) isomers their selectivity turned out to be lower than anticipated. The proportion of heterobimetallic complexes reaches only 65 and 92 %, respectively, for the LaLu couple of lanthanides. The ligands LAB3 and LAB4, as expected, also give lower yields (up to 87 and 79 %) of heterobimetallic complexes. To investigate the details of the Head-Head-Head/Head-Head-Tail equilibrium variable temperature NMR measurements were carried out and the H and S values were determined for 26 different complexes. It was found that the equilibria were characterised by a subtle interplay of enthalpic and entropic effects, with the two isomers differing only by a few kJ/mol. Structures of five complexes of LAB3 were determined by X-ray diffraction. The structures contain molecular ions of composition [LnLn'(L)3]6+ in which the three ligand strands are wrapped around the two lanthanide ions in a helical fashion. To obtain information about the structure of the complexes in solution analysis of the lanthanide induced paramagnetic shift has been carried out. The so-called one proton analysis showed that contributions from two paramagnetic lanthanide ions in the same complex are additive. Extraction of structural factors demonstrated that the complexes of all the ligands are isostructural in solution. Comparison with the X-ray data proved that the solid state structures are maintained in solution. Finally, a modified one proton analysis has been devised to separate contact and pseudo contact shifts while taking into account the variation of the crystal field parameter B20 along the lanthanide series.

EPFL2006

Intermolecular Interactions as Actors in Energy-Transfer Processes in Lanthanide Complexes with 2,2′-Bipyridine

Jean-Claude Bünzli

A series of lanthanide complexes [LnClx(bpy)y(H2O)z]Cl3-x(H2O)n(EtOH)m (Ln ) Eu, Gd, Tb; x ) 1, 2; y ) 1, 2; z ) 2-4) with different numbers of 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), chloride ions, and water molecules in the inner coordination sphere were synthesized and investigated with the aim of relating their molecular geometry and crystal packing to the efficiency of ligand-to-metal energy transfer. In conjunction to the rotation of the pyridine rings upon coordination to the Ln ion, the high flexibility displayed by bpy ligands leads to rather unexpected bending of these rings with respect to the central bond, owing to intermolecular interactions such as Cl · · ·π and π-stacking ones. Deciphering the luminescence properties of the Eu and Tb complexes needs to take into account both the composition of the inner coordination sphere and the peculiarities of the crystal packing. For instance, in addition to the classical ligand f Eu charge-transfer state (LMCT), another chargetransfer state induced by π-stacking interactions (SICT) could be identified. These two states, located between the singlet and triplet states of the bpy ligand(s), provide relays facilitating the energy migration from the singlet to the triplet states and eventually to the excited Eu states, improving the overall ligand-to-Eu energy transfer. Another point is the involvement of the inner-sphere water molecules in H-bonding with chloride ions, which considerably lowers their luminescence quenching ability, so that the adducts remain highly luminescent. For instance, the terbium chloride with two bpy ligands is an efficient near-UV to green light converter, with an overall quantum yield equal to 37% despite the coordinated water molecules. The interpretations given are substantiated by DFT and TD-DFT theoretical calculations of the complexes and ligand assemblies.

2009

Heterobimetallic lanthanide helicates

Thomas Binderup Jensen

EPFL2006