Host-guest chemistry in the hexanuclear (arene)ruthenium metalla-prismatic cage [Ru6(p-cymene)6(tpt)2(dhnq)3]6+

A large cationic triangular metalla-prism, [Ru6(p-cymene)6(tpt)2(dhnq)3]6+ ([1]6+), incorporating (p-cymene)ruthenium building blocks, bridged by 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinonato (dhnq) ligands, and connected by two 2,4,6-tri(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (tpt) subunits, allows encapsulation of various guest mols. This cationic cage, isolated as its triflate salt, possesses a portal size smaller than its cavity, thus allowing both, permanent and temporary encapsulation of guest mols. The host-guest properties of [1]6+ have been studied in soln. in the presence of planar mols. [phenanthrene, pyrene, (pyren-1-ylmethyl)amine, Pt(acac)2, triphenylene]. The stability const. of assocn. (Ka) was estd. by NMR spectroscopy for the following host-guest systems: [pyrene1]6+, [phenanthrene1]6+ and [(pyren-1-ylmethyl)amine1]6+. All Ka values were found to be larger than 2.4 × 104 M-1 for these host-guest systems ([D3]acetonitrile, 21 °C). The other two synthesized complexes, [Pt(acac)21]6+ and [triphenylene1]6+, were shown to act as carceplexes only. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009). [on SciFinder(R)]