Noncovalent synthesis of hierarchical zinc phosphates from a single Zn₄O₁₂P₄ double-four-ring building block: dimensionality control through the choice of auxiliary ligands

Abstract

In contrast to the well-known reaction of phosphonic acids RP(O)(OH)₂ with divalent transition-metal ions that yields layered metal phosphonates [RPO₃M(H₂O)]_n, the 2,6-diisopropylphenyl ester of phosphoric acid, dippH₂, reacts with zinc acetate in methanol under ambient conditions to afford tetrameric zinc phosphate [(ArO)PO₃Zn(MeOH)]₄ (1). The coordinated methanol in 1 can be readily exchanged by stronger Lewis basic ligands at room temperature. This strategy opens up a new avenue for building double-four-ring (D4R) cubane-based supramolecular assemblies through strong intercubane hydrogen-bonding interactions. Seventeen pyridinic ligands have been used to synthesize as many D4R cubanes [(ArO)PO₃Zn(L)]₄ (2-18) from 1. The ligands have been chosen in such a way that the majority of them contain an additional functional group that could be used for noncovalent synthesis of extended structures. When the ligand does not contain any other hydrogen-bonding donor-acceptor sites (e.g., 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (collidine)), zero-dimensional D4R cubanes have been obtained. The use of pyridine, lutidine, 2-aminopyridine, and 2,6-diaminopyridine, however, results in the formation of linear or zigzag one-dimensional assemblies of D4R cubanes through strong intermolecular C=H···O or N=H···O interactions. Construction of two-dimensional assemblies of zinc phosphates has been achieved by employing 2-hydroxypyridine or 2-methylimidazole as the exo-cubane ligand on zinc centers. The introduction of an alcohol side chain on the pyridinic ligand in such a way that the =CH₂OH group cannot participate in intracubane hydrogen bonding (e.g., pyridine-3-methanol, pyridine-4-methanol, and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole-N-ethanol) leads to the facile noncovalent synthesis of three-dimensional framework structures. Apart from being useful as building blocks for noncovalent synthesis of zeolite-like materials, compounds 1-18 can also be thermolyzed at approximately 500 °C to yield high-purity zinc pyrophosphate (Zn₂P₂O₇) ceramic material.