Self-assembled hetero-bimetallic sandwich with Ag–Ag bridging using a flexible two-arm ferrocene amide linker

The tetradentate ferrocenyl sandwich molecule N,N′-bis(di-2-pyridylamine)-1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxamine (bdpfa) has been designed and synthesized as an organometallic ligand in order to construct hetero-bimetallic architectures. By combining the flexibility from the arm-like molecule bdpfa with AgI ions, a novel complex [Ag2(bdpfa)](ClO4)2·(H2O)2 (1) was obtained. Single crystal X-ray analysis has revealed that complex 1 forms a hetero-trinuclear sandwich-type complex with Ag–Ag bridging. Furthermore, the preliminary electrochemical properties of the ligand and complex were investigated.

► V-shape ligand as a candidate for constructing cluster.
► Ferrocenyl building block as coordination precursor.
► Dipyridylamine ligand enhancing the flexibility of ligand molecule.
► Hetero-bimetallic cluster.