Anion and Guest Directed Tetracyclic Macrocycles of Ag5L4 and Ag6L4 with an Arc-Shaped Ligand Containing Pyridine and Benzimidazole Units: Reversal of Anion Selectivity by Guest

Abstract

An arc shaped tridentate ligand pyridine-3,5-bis(1-methyl-benzimidazole-2-yl), L, and Ag(I) were shown to form two isomers of Ag5L4 and Ag6L4 templated by ClO4- and CF3SO3- anions, respectively, in DCM-MeOH. Further, the Ag6L4 cluster containing triflate was also found to form in the presence of nitrobenzene, toluene, and p-xylene. Interestingly, the presence of benzonitrile as guest exhibits reversal of anion selectivity that is perchlorate templated Ag6L4 while triflate templated Ag5L4. The guest exchange form the crystalline solid of Ag6L4 resulted in the solid-to-solid transformation to Ag5L4.