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Organoplatinum crystals for gas-triggered switches

Nature volume 406, pages 970–974 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Considerable effort is being devoted to the fabrication of nanoscale devices1. Molecular machines, motors and switches have been made, generally operating in solution2,3,4,5,6,7, but for most device applications (such as electronics and opto-electronics), a maximal degree of order and regularity is required8. Crystalline materials would be excellent systems for these purposes, as crystals comprise a vast number of self-assembled molecules, with a perfectly ordered three-dimensional structure9. In non-porous crystals, however, the molecules are densely packed and any change in them (due, for example, to a reaction) is likely to destroy the crystal and its properties. Here we report the controlled and fully reversible crystalline-state reaction of gaseous SO2 with non-porous crystalline materials consisting of organoplatinum molecules. This process, including repetitive expansion–reduction sequences (on gas uptake and release) of the crystal lattice, modifies the structures of these molecules without affecting their crystallinity. The process is based on the incorporation of SO2 into the colourless crystals and its subsequent liberation from the orange adducts by reversible bond formation and cleavage10. We therefore expect that these crystalline materials will find applications for gas storage devices and as opto-electronic switches11,12.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Molecular structures and hydrogen bonding motifs of organoplatinum complexes 1 and 2.
Figure 3: ‘On/off’ switching between crystalline 1 and 2.
Figure 4: Time-resolved X-ray powder diffraction analysis of the transformation of crystalline 2 to 1 in an atmosphere of air.
Figure 5: Formation of crystalline 1 from a single crystal of 2.

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Acknowledgements

We thank E. T. H. Lutz and A. M. M. Schreurs for technical assistance during the measurements and R. A. Gossage for discussions. This work was partially supported by the Council for Chemical Sciences from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (CW–NWO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metal-Mediated Synthesis, Debye Institute,

    Martin Albrecht, Gerard van Koten & Gerard van Koten

  2. Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Crystal and Structural Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, CH Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands

    Martin Lutz & Anthony L. Spek

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  1. Martin Albrecht
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  4. Gerard van Koten
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Correspondence to Gerard van Koten.

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Albrecht, M., Lutz, M., Spek, A. et al. Organoplatinum crystals for gas-triggered switches. Nature 406, 970–974 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35023107

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