Nanoscale microreactor-encapsulation of 18-membered decaaza macrocycle nickel(II) complexes

Nickel(II) complexes with 18-membered decaaza macrocyclic ligands “1,10-dialkyl-5,6,14,15-tetramethyl-1,3,4,7,8,10,12,13,16,17-decaazacyclooctadecane” [Ni(R2Me4[18]aneN10)](ClO4)2 (R = H, Me, Et, Pr, Bu, benzyl), have been prepared from the one-pot template condensation reaction of formaldehyde, 2,3-butanedihydrazone with alkyl and benzyl amine in the presence of nickel(II) ion within the nanodimensional pores of zeolite Y. The new materials were characterized by several techniques: chemical analysis and spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, UV–VIS, XRD, BET, DRS).