Immobilization, trapping, and anion exchange of perrhenate ion using copper-based tripodal complexes.

We describe a multidentate tripodal ligand in which three pendant arms carrying di(2-picolyl)amine units are linked to the ortho positions of a tris(o-xylyl) scaffold, providing N(CH(2)-o-C(6)H(4)CH(2)N(CH(2)py)(2))(3) (L). Reaction of L with CuCl(2) in the presence of hexafluorophosphate anion afforded blue cubes of [(CuCl)(3)L](PF(6))(3)·5H(2)O (1). Crystallographic studies of 1 revealed that the three symmetry-related arms each coordinate a {Cu(II)Cl} unit, and two molecules of 1 are connected to one another through a Cu(μ-Cl)(2)Cu bridge, extending the molecular structure to form a two-dimensional (2-D) layer. These 2-D layers pack in an ABCABC... fashion with PF(6)(-) anions located in between. Reaction of 1 with a stoichiometric amount of perrhenate ion afforded blue plates of [(CuCl)(3)L](PF(6))(ReO(4))(2)·3H(2)O (2). Compound 2 has the same lattice structure as 1, but the tricopper unit backbone now traps one ReO(4)(-) anion through Coulombic interactions. In addition, three molecules of 2 are bridged by a perrhenate ion, forming a Cu(3)(μ(3)-ReO(4)) cluster, to give a different 2-D structure displaying a rare tridentate bridging ReO(4)(-) mode. Thus, in addition to classic perrhenate trapping through weak Coulombic interactions, 2 represents an exceptional example in which the ReO(4)(-) anion is immobilized in an extended framework through tight covalent interactions. The interlamellar PF(6)(-) anions in 1 can be exchanged with other anions including perrhenate, perchlorate, or periodate. The structural similarity between perrhenate and pertechnetate makes these materials of potential interest for pertechnetate trapping.