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A series of three Mo2 dimers bridged by a meta-phenylene group has been studied in terms of electronic coupling (EC) and electron transfer (ET) in comparison with the para isomers. Optical analyses on the mixed-valence complexes indicate that by replacing a para-phenylene bridge with a meta one, the EC between the two Mo2 centers is dramatically weakened; consequently, the ET rates (ket ) are lowered by two to three orders of magnitude. In the para series, the EC parameters (Hab ) and ET rates (ket ) are greatly affected by O/S atomic alternation of the bridging ligand. However, for the meta analogues, similar EC and ET parameters are obtained, that is, Hab =300-400 cm-1 and ket ≈109 s-1 . These results suggest that through-σ-bond and/or through-space coupling channels become operative as the π conjugation is disabled. DFT calculations reveal that destructive quantum interference features seen for the meta series arise from the cancellation of two π-conjugated coupling pathways.

A 12-metallacrown-4 (MC) complex was designed and employed as the building block in the synthesis of coordination polymers, one of which is the first permanently porous MC architecture. The connection of the four-fold symmetric MC subunits by Cu(II) nodes led to the formation of 2D layers of metallacrowns. Channels are present in the crystalline architecture, which exhibits permanent porosity manifested in N2 and CO2 uptake capacity.

Two, symmetrical, mixed-valence (MV), complex cations-{[Mo2 (DAniF)3 ]2 (μ-oxamidate)}(+) (1(+) ) and {Mo2 (DAniF)3 ]2 (μ-dithiooxamidate)}(+) (2(+) ; DAniF=N,N'-di(p-anisyl)formamidinate)-are significantly differentiated in terms of electronic coupling between the two [Mo2 ] units. For 1(+) the intervalence (IV) charge-transfer band in the near-IR spectrum is truncated in half on the low-energy side as predicted for MV compounds at the Class II-III limit (2Hab /λ=1; for which Hab =electronic coupling matrix element and λ=reorganization energy). In contrast, the very strongly coupled analogue 2(+) , as indicated by 2Hab /λ=3.5 (> >1), exhibits a higher energy and more symmetrical IV band. As rare examples, this pair of MV species shows distinct optical behaviors for MV systems crossing the Class III region. Optical analysis and DFT calculations are carried out to elucidate the transformation from vibronic to electronic vertical transition.

Binding two quadruply bonded dimolybdenum units [Mo(2)(DAniF)(3)](+) (DAniF=N,N'-di-p-anisylformamidinate) with two chalcogen atoms generated two molecules with a central core composed of a cyclic six-membered [Mo(2)](2)(μ-EH)(2) species (E=S in 1 and O in 3, and [Mo(2)] is a quadruple-bonded [Mo(2)(formamidinate)(3)] unit). Aerobic oxidation of 1 and 3 followed by concomitant deprotonation gave rise to the corresponding [Mo(2)](2)(μ-E)(2) compounds 2 and 4. The latter show a striking coplanarity and near-bond equalization of the Mo/E cluster. The oxidized species 2 and 4 are diamagnetic in the measured temperature range of 5 to 300 K, which is somewhat unexpected for molecules that have dimetal units with a σ(2)π(4)δ(1) electronic configuration. This suggests there are strong interactions between the dimolybdenum units through the E atoms. The large electronic delocalization of the δ electrons over the entire Mo/E core is supported by the exceptionally large potential separation for the two successive one-electron reductions of the linked Mo(2)(5+) units from the oxidized species (ΔE(½)=1.7 V for the sulfur analogue). This large electronic delocalization has an important effect on the NMR spectroscopic signals for the two sets of methine (N-(CH)-N) protons from the DAniF ligands. Those essentially parallel to the core, H(∥), and those essentially perpendicular to the core, H(⊥), exhibit downfield and upfield chemical shifts, respectively, that are separated by δ=1.32 ppm. The structural, electronic, magnetic, and chemical behaviors for 2 and 4 are consistent with aromaticity, with the [Mo(2)E(2)Mo(2)] cores that resemble the prototypical benzene molecule. Theoretical studies, including DFT calculations, natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses, and gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) NMR spectroscopic calculations, are also consistent with the aromaticity of the [Mo(2)](2)(μ-E)(2) units being promoted by d(δ)(Mo(2))-p(π)(E) π conjugation. The cyclic π conjugation of the central moiety in 2 and 4 involves a total of six electrons with 2e from δ(Mo(2)) and 4e from p(π)(E) orbitals, thereby conforming to Hückel's rule when electrons in the MOs with δ character are considered part of the delocalized system.

GaIII/LnIII metallacrown (MC) complexes with a dimeric structure have been designed, synthesized and characterized. The presence of the bridge in the [LnGa4]2 allows for a broad variety of functionalization with chemical groups of different nature through carboxylate substitution. Moreover, the MC scaffold in [LnGa4]2 is able to efficiently sensitize the characteristic emission of Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb ions in the visible and/or NIR ranges in the solid state. More information can be found in the Communication by S. V. Eliseeva, S. Petoud, V. L Pecoraro et al. on page 1031.