Fluorine-based Zn salan complexes

We synthesised and characterised the racemic and chiral versions of two Zn salan fluorine-based complexes from commercially available materials. The complexes are susceptible to absorbing H2O from the atmosphere. In solution (DMSO-H2O) and at the millimolar level, experimental and theoretical studies identify that these complexes exist in a dimeric-monomeric equilibrium. We also investigated their ability to sense amines via(19)F NMR. In CDCl3 or d(6)-DMSO, strongly coordinating molecules (H2O or DMSO) are the limiting factor in using these easy-to-make complexes as chemosensory platforms since their exchange with analytes requires an extreme excess of the latter.

Automated summary

We synthesised and characterised two Zn salan fluorine-based complexes, both racemic and chiral, using commercially available materials. These complexes readily absorb H2O from the atmosphere. In solution (DMSO-H2O), both experimental and theoretical studies reveal that these complexes exist in a dimeric-monomeric equilibrium at the millimolar level. Additionally, we investigated their ability to sense amines via (19)F NMR, finding that the exchange with analytes requires an extreme excess due to the strong coordination of water or DMSO in CDCl3 or d(6)-DMSO.