Wednesday, 29 January 2020 – 11:00 am in LT4, Level 2, School of Chemistry [Map].  (Special seminar)

Dr Michael Pfrunder , School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology [mc.pfrunder@qut.edu.au]

Host:  Dr Derrick Roberts

Abstract:

Metal complexes exhibit many interesting optical, magnetic and redox properties that are of great importance to myriad applications. These properties and associated chemistries are sensitive to the 3-dimensional arrangement of metals, which provides significant opportunity for their tuning and enhancement. Supramolecular chemistry can facilitate control over the organisation of coordination complexes through exploitation of intermolecular interactions such as Coulombic forces, hydrogen and halogen bonds and π-π interactions. I will present two of our research directions in this area.

1. The construction of photo-active metallosupramolecular coordination cages that contain inert Ru(II) and Ir(III)ions

The use of functionalised metalloligands can facilitate the preparation of a variety of supramolecular assemblies that incorporate kinetically inert metals and our most recent results will be presented using this approach for the construction of supramolecular cages incorporating photoactive Ru(II) and Ir(III) complexes, which may have a variety of applications including catalysts for organic photoredox reactions.

2. Anionic supramolecular frameworks based on halogen bonds that encapsulate metal complexes.

Mononuclear transition metal complexes readily co-crystallise with perfluoroiodobenzenes to form crystals in which the metal complexes are encapsulated in anionic halogen bonded networks. These networks comprise the halide counteranions and perfluoroiodofluorobenzenes.^1,2 This can be exploited to manipulate the crystal packing arrangement of metal complexes that can in turn cause significant changes to the physical properties of the metal complexes and their crystals.