Ligand-switching and counteranion-induced hierarchical self-assembly of silver-NHC complexes

The self-assembly of the rigid, bent, chiral bis(triazol-ylidene) ligands with the linear coordinated group 11 metal centers brought about dramatic architectural variation of metallosupramolecular assemblies from the familiar dinuclear M2L2 to the trinuclear cylindrical foldamers M3L3 through a small variation of the R group of ligand. The foldamers [(S)-2 center dot Ag](3)(X)(3) further underwent counteranion-triggered hierarchical self-assembly into well-grown nanofibers capable of gelating solvents.