Novel compounds based on [Re6Q8(L)6]4− (Q = S, Se, Te; L = CN, OH) and their applications

Abstract

[Re₆Q₈L₆]⁴⁻ (Q = S, Se, Te) clusters can serve as promising “building blocks” for the creation of new porous framworks, nanoparticles and mesoporous materials. Since [Re₆Q₈L₆]⁴⁻clusters have multi-anchoring sites for transition metals, metal–organic complexes, polymers, and multidentated metal complexes, they could be assembled to form various inorganic or organic–inorganic hybrid solids with new various spatial and chemical functions. Because of the controllable architectures and multi-anchoring sites of clusters together with their photoluminescence, rhenium cluster complexes are promising potential candidates as catalysts, chemical color sensors, magnetic materials, gas storage materials, optoelectronic, diagnostic agents, and gene/drug carriers. A new type of mesoscale material comprising [Re₆Q₈(CN)₆]⁴⁻ and various divalent transition metals in the presence of a liquid crystal template are obtained in 3D cubic, 2D hexagonal, and lamellar phases. The hexahydroxo complexes [Re₆Q₈(OH)₆]⁴⁻ (Q = S, Se) with high reactivities and a unique rhenium sulfido–cyanide compound, K₈[Re₁₂CS₁₇(CN)₆] with a C-centered {Re₁₂} cluster unit were discovered and still many more new rhenium metal cluster complexes at various reaction conditions remain to be explored.