SELF-ASSEMBLY OF LUMINESCENT MOLECULAR SQUARES FEATURING OCTAHEDRAL RHENIUM CORNERS

A new family of molecular squares containing Re-I polypyridyl and poly pyrazyl centers has been synthesized at quantitative yields via a self -assembly method. Ambient-temperature photophysical studies reveal tha t two of the squares (4,4'-bipyridine- and pyrazine-bridged species) r eadily luminesce in solution from relatively long-lived charge-transfe r excited states. These squares expand the growing field of inorganic cyclophane self-assembly chemistry to the octahedral metal systems.