Supramolecular Chemistry:  Molecular Recognition and Self-Assembly Using Rigid Spacer-Chelators Bearing Cofacial Terpyridyl Palladium(II) Complexes Separated by 7 Å

Partially and fully aromatic molecular spacers bearing two symmetrically bound terpyridyl chelators have been prepared. These spacer-chelators were constructed to dispose the two terpyridyl ligands and their complexes with square planar metals cofacially with a separation of about 7 Å between the two metals. Dipalladium(II) complexes of these spacer-chelators were prepared and characterized. These palladium complexes readily form large molecular rectangles with a linear linker such as 4,4‘-dipyridyl. The dichlorodipalladium complex of the partially reduced spacer-chelator is capable of incarcerating planar aromatic and coordination compounds as guests. A crystal structure showing the incorporation of 9-methylanthracene has been determined. A 9-methylanthracene lies completely within the ∼7 Å space provided by the cleft formed by the two cofacially disposed chloro−palladium−terpyridyl units. The crystal structure shows additional π-stacking interactions between a second 9-methylanthracene and neighboring receptors.