Novel bis(methylimidazolium) alkane bolaamphiphiles as templates for the construction of haloclusters supramolecules

• Five novel haloclusters were synthesized by the cation-templated self-assembly.
• These compounds were all composed of discrete cations and haloclusters anions.
• Complex 1 is a rare 2D polypseudorotaxane structure.
• The anion portion exhibit different configurations by varying the alkyl chain length.

Under the direction of dicationic bolaamphiphiles as SDAs (structure-directing agents), five new cuprous/silver halides(pseudohalides) formulated as {[BMIE][Ag2Br4]}n (1), {[BMIE][Ag2I4]}n (2), {[BMIB][Ag2Br4]}n (3), {(BDMIH)[Cu4(SCN)6]}n (4) and {[BDMIO][Cu2(SCN)4]}n (5) [BMIE·2Br = 1,2-bis(3-methylimidozole-1-yl) ethane dibromide, BMIB·2Br = 1,4-bis(3-methylimidozole-1-yl) butane dibromide, BDMIH·2Br = 1,6-bis(2,3-dimethylimidozole-1-yl)hexane dibromide, BDMIO·2Br = 1,8-bis(2,3-dimethylimidozole-1-yl)octane dibromide] were synthesized by self-assembly strategy in DMF–MeOH system. The X-ray crystallography analysis showed that these compounds were all composed of discrete organic cations and halocluster anions interacted by electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. Compound 1 exhibits two-dimensional polypseudorotaxane structure. Compounds 2–4 present one-dimensional chain structure, compound 5 has a one-dimensional ladder-like structure. These compounds were characterized by IR, UV–Vis, PXRD and TGA. Their luminescent properties were further investigated in the solid state.

Five novel haloclusters possess 0–2D frameworks were prepared by the directing of cationic bolaamphiphiles template. The anion portion exhibit different configurations by varying the alkyl chain length.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide