Dihydrogen Bond Interaction Induced Separation of Hexane Isomers by Self-Assembled Carborane Metallacycles

Herein, we describe how to utilize dihydrogen bond interactions to achieve alkane recognition and hexane isomer separation. A series of metallacycles based on carborane backbones are presented herein, revealing interdependent B-H^δ-···H^δ+-C proton-hydride interactions. The metallacycles take advantage of these dihydrogen bond interactions for the separation of hexane isomers. We show that the metallacycle 3a, bearing 1,4-di(4-pyridyl)benzene (DPB), can produce n-hexane with a purity of >99% in a single adsorption-desorption cycle from an equimolar mixture of all five isomers of hexane. The isomers 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane can be selectively absorbed by metallacycle 4a, which bears 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (DPE). The size of the metallacycle, C-H···π interactions, and particularly B-H^δ-···H^δ+-C interactions are the main forces governing the extent of hexane recognition. This work provides a promising principle for the design of supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs) for the separation of alkanes.