Rational design and syntheses of 0-D, 1-D, and 2-D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) from ferrocenedicarboxylate tetrametallic macrocyclic building units and subsidiary ligands

We have designed and synthesized three new metal-1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylate complexes containing tetrametallic macrocyclic building units, namely, [Cd2(η2-O2CFcCO2-η2)2(phen)2(H2O)2] · 4CH3OH (1) (Fc = (η5-C5H4)Fe(C5H4-η5), phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), {[Cd(η2-O2CFcCO2)(pebbm)(H2O)] · 2H2O}n (2) (pebbm = 1,1′-(1,5-pentanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole) and {[Cd(η2-O2CFcCO2-η2)(prbbm)(H2O)] · 3H2O}n (3) (prbbm = 1,1′-(1,3-propanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole). Compound 1 is a 0-D discrete tetrametallic macrocyclic framework. Compound 2 features an infinite 1-D ribbon of rings structure constructed by the subsidiary ligands pebbm connecting tetrametallic macrocyclic building units. For 3, its tetrametallic macrocyclic building units are linked by the subsidiary ligands prbbm to form a 2-D network structure. The structural features of these complexes indicate that the ferrocenedicarboxylate tetrametallic macrocycle can be used as a successful molecular building unit and the shapes and conformational flexibility of subsidiary ligands play a crucial role in the manipulation of the configuration of the resultant MOFs. Their fluorescence spectra in solid state at room temperature suggest that the fluorescence emissions of 1–3 are ruled by 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxylate ligand.