A six-component metallosupramolecular pentagon via self-sorting.

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Coordination Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Self-sorting is a powerful strategy for constructing complex molecular architectures.
• Metal complexes offer versatile building blocks for supramolecular assembly.
• Orthogonal interactions are crucial for predictable self-assembly processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel six-component pentagonal structure (P1).
• To investigate the self-sorting behavior of metal complex units and linear ligands.
• To demonstrate the formation of a complex supramolecular assembly without relying on directional bonding.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three distinct orthogonal metal complex units.
• Employed a 1-fold completive self-sorting approach.
• Integrated four linear ligands and two metal ions in the assembly process.

Main Results:

• Successfully conceived the six-component pentagon P1.
• Demonstrated the self-sorting of components into the desired pentagonal architecture.
• Achieved the assembly without the use of directional bonding, highlighting the role of orthogonal interactions.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a new method for constructing complex supramolecular structures through self-sorting.
• Pentagonal architectures can be assembled using orthogonal metal complex units and linear ligands.
• This work expands the possibilities of designing intricate molecular systems via non-directional interactions.