Functional metallocages and metallosupramolecular assemblies

Transition metal complexes, in particular those containing iridium and ruthenium often exhibit interesting and varied luminescence properties. Metallo-cages are chemical architectures able to display host-guest chemistry. By combining these phenomena, self-assembled metallo-cages that have the potential to be utilised in numerous applications such as bioimaging, sensing and organic light emitting diodes can be accessed through the creation of complex systems which emit light at a tuneable wavelength.

The aim of this project is to create a range of self-assembled metallocages and/or other multi-nuclear complexes using derivatives of the host molecule cyclotriguaiacyclene (CTG). CTG a molecular host with a relatively rigid open pyramidal shape making it a useful scaffold for building cage assemblies. Here tetrazoles or triazoles groups will be appended to a CTG scaffold and complexed to late row transition metals to produce a variety of photoactive metallocages. By substituting the tetrazoles we can easily create an assortment of different cages which can exist in a cationic or anionic form. One aim will be the co-crystallisation of anionic and cationic cages/complexes to produce 'soft salts', allowing for tuning of luminescent behaviour. Other targets include heteronuclear complexes with CTG-scaffolds, and water solubilisation of metallocages in order to enhance their guest-binding properties. This has the potential for numerous downstream applications, such as solid state lighting, catalysis and sensor/imaging chemistry.