Crystal engineering of hybrid inorganic-organic systems based upon complexes with dissymmetric compartmental ligands

This paper illustrates the versatility of mono- and heterobinuclear complexes with dissymmetric compartmental ligands in designing molecular and supramolecular heterometallic systems. Mononuclear complexes with side-off bicompartmental ligands derived from o-vanillin act efficiently, through their empty compartment, as hydrogen-bond receptors and as second coordination sphere ligands. These Schiff-bases are also suitable for synthesizing 3d-3d' and 3d-4f heterobinuclear complexes. Both 3d-3d' and 3d-4f complexes can be employed as nodes in obtaining coordination polymers with various dimensionalities and network topologies, as well as interesting magnetic and optical properties.