Exploiting dimensional variability in coordination polymers: solvent promotes reversible conversion between 3D and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Copper-bipyridine (Cu-bpy) complexes are versatile building blocks for self-assembled materials.
• Solvent choice significantly influences the structure and dimensionality of self-assembled architectures.
• Achiral building blocks can form chiral supramolecular structures through self-assembly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in directing the self-assembly of Cu-bpy.
• To explore the formation of different dimensional architectures (3D and 1D) from achiral Cu-bpy units.
• To determine if DMSO can control reversible transformations between distinct Cu-bpy architectures.

Main Methods:

• Solvent-assisted self-assembly of copper and bipyridine building blocks.
• Characterization of resulting architectures using techniques such as X-ray diffraction and microscopy.
• Investigation of solvent-mediated interconversion between different structural forms.

Main Results:

• DMSO promotes dimensional variability, leading to the formation of a 3D nanoporous Cu-bpy network (1).
• DMSO also facilitates the self-assembly of a 1D chiral Cu-bpy polymer (2) from achiral precursors.
• The presence of DMSO governs a reversible conversion process between the 3D network (1) and the 1D polymer (2).

Conclusions:

• DMSO acts as a critical directing agent in Cu-bpy self-assembly, enabling access to diverse dimensionalities.
• The solvent-controlled reversible conversion between architectures highlights the dynamic nature of these Cu-bpy systems.
• This work demonstrates the potential for designing responsive and switchable materials based on Cu-bpy self-assembly.