Pnw. Baxter et al., Self-assembly and structure of interconverting multinuclear inorganic arrays: A [4 x 5]-Ag-20(I) grid and an Ag-10(I) quadruple helicate, CHEM-EUR J, 6(24), 2000, pp. 4510-4517
Coordination of the pentatopic ligand 3 with Ag-I leads to the simultaneous
self-assembly of two polynuclear architectures: a [4 x 5] grid-type specie
s 10 and a quadruple-helicate 11, which contain twenty and ten silver ions,
respectively. Their structures have been established by X-ray diffraction
analysis of the crystals obtained as a mixture on crystallisation. Complex
10 contains two [2 x 5]-Ag-10(I) rectangular subgrids located on opposite s
ides of an array of parallel ligands of 3 that are twisted into a transoid
N=C-C=N arrangement around the central C-C bond; it may thus be formulated
as a grid of grids: [2 x (2 x 5)]. Complex 11 is an inorganic quadruple hel
icate that consists of two sets of two parallel ligands of 3 connected by a
n array of ten silver ions. Both compounds 10 and 11 are novel types of pol
ynuclear complexes that are composed of two subunits. Their formation point
s to the possibility of generating specific arrays of metal ions by self-as
sembly, involving, in particular, a combination of subunits within the over
all entity. They represent organised patterns of ion dots of special signif
icance in view of their formal relationship to quantum dots.