Expedient Synthesis of Thioether-Functionalized Hydrotris(indazolyl)borate as an Anchoring Platform for Rotary Molecular Machines
Major improvements in the synthesis of surface-mounted rotary molecular machines based on ruthenium(II) complexes are reported. The development of a one-pot indium(III)-mediated “N-deprotection/ester reductive sulfidation” sequence allowed step economy, reproducibility and high efficiency in the synthesis of the thioether-functionalized tripodal ligand. Switching to the thallium salt of hydrotris(indazolyl)borate and to microwave heating further optimized the preparation of the common intermediate in the modular synthesis of symmetric and dissymmetric molecular motors and gears. The penta(4-bromophenyl)cyclopentadienyl ruthenium(II) key precursor is now reproducibly synthesized in 5 steps and 31 % overall yield on the longest linear sequence. Subsequent fivefold Suzuki–Miyaura coupling with ferroceneboronic acid led to a new C5-symmetric pentaferrocenyl molecular motor.
Synthesis of new tripodal tri-functionalized hydrotris(indazol-1-yl)borate ligands and x-ray structures of their cyclopentadieneruthenium complexes
Two new tripodal ligands designed to anchor complexes onto surfaces have been synthesized. They integrate ester or thioether functions at the 6-position of the indazoles. Potassium hydrotris[6-(ethoxycarbonyl)indazolyl]borate and potassium hydrotris{6-[(ethylsulfanyl)methyl]indazolyl}borate exhibit three pendant groups oriented to anchor complexes onto an oxide and a metallic surface, respectively. Their complexation with [RuCp(CH3CN) 3]PF6 yielded two piano-stool-shaped complexes that were characterized by X-ray diffraction. Comparison with the synthesized unfunctionalized analog showed that the three 6-substituted functions do not interfere with the coordination site and are particularly well oriented for surface deposition. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2006.