Synthesis of chiral self-assembling rhombs and their characterization in solution, in the gas phase, and at the liquid -solid interface

Chiral, enantiopure metallo-supramolecular rhombs self-assemble in solution through coordination of bis-pyridyl-substituted ligands with (en)M(NO3)2. Characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy in solution and by electospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI-FT-ICR) mass spectrometry in the gas phase suggests that an equilibrium exists in water/methanol of a major 2:2 complex and a minor 3:3 complex of ligands and metal corners.