Coexistence of molecular Pd6 triangle and Pd8 square self-assembled from naphthyl-dipyrazole with di-palladium motifs

•Two novel nanosized bipyrazolate-bridged metallo-macrocycles were self-assembled.•Coexisted two metallomacrocycles Pd8 and Pd6 were separated in one-pot reaction.•We discussed the self-assembly mechanism of complex 1a and 1b.

Two novel nanosized bipyrazolate-bridged metallo-macrocycles with dipalladium(II,II) corners, {[(bpy)Pd]8L4}(NO3)8 and {[(bpy)Pd]6L3}(NO3)6 [L = 1, 4-di(3′,5′-dimethyl-1H-pyrazolyl-4yl)naphthalene] have been synthesized through a directed self-assembly approach that involves spontaneous deprotonation of the 1H-bipyrazolyl ligand in aqueous solution. These crown-shaped complexes with deep cavities potentially served as the host to solvent molecules and anions. Such metallo-macrocyclic structures have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, 1H and 13CNMR, high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV–visible spectroscopy, and luminescence spectroscopy.

Graphical abstractTwo novel metallomacrocycles Pd8 and Pd6 coexisted in the same reaction, which self-assembled from bipz ligands and diPd coordination motifs. We selectively separated two supramolecular species by changing the recrystallization conditions in one-pot reaction.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide