Supramolecular recognition. Terpyridyl palladium and platinum molecular clefts and their association with planar platinum complexes

Molecular receptors, consisting of either two parallel cofacially disposed terpyridyl-Pd-Cl+ or terpyridyl-Pt-Cl+ units, are described. Concerted rotation of these units about the molecular spacer can alter their separation between 6.4 and 7.2 Angstrom to accommodate the dimensions of molecular guests. Neutral and anionic planar complexes of platinum(II) were investigated as guests to determine if metal-metal interaction between the host and guest metals could stabilize host-guest association. With a neutral guest, it was found that host-guest formation is signaled by a color change from light yellow to deep red. For one of the anionic guests, a visible absorption band appears upon host-guest formation with the platinum receptor that is ascribed to transitions associated with a Pt-Pt interaction. The association constants found for the neutral guest with the palladium and platinum receptors are large, suggesting that metal-metal interaction contributes to the molecular recognition. The structures of the host-(neutral)guest complexes in solution have been determined by H-1 NOESY spectra. A crystal structure of the platinum host-(neutral)guest complex is the same as that found in solution and confirms the presence of a Pt-Pt interaction. Temperature-dependent Pt-195 NMR spectra in solution provide a quantitative estimate of the conformational interconversions of the free platinum receptor.