Metallacrown

Figure showing the metallacrown analogy to the organic crown ether. Ligand substituents are omitted for clarity.
a) 12-Crown-4 b) 12-MCFe(III)N(shi)-4
c) 15-Crown-5 d) 15-MCCu(II)N(picHA)-5

In chemistry, metallacrowns are a macrocyclic compounds that consist of metal ions and solely or predominantly heteroatoms in the ring. Classically, metallacrowns contain an [M–N–O] repeat unit in the macrocycle. First discovered by Vincent L. Pecoraro and Myoung Soo Lah in 1989,[1] metallacrowns are best described as inorganic analogues of crown ethers. To date, over 600 reports of metallacrown research have been published. Metallacrowns with sizes ranging from 12-MC-4 to 60-MC-20 have been synthesized.[2]

  1. ^ Lah, M. S.; V. L., Pecoraro (1989). "Isolation and Characterization of {MnII[MnIII(salicylhydroximate)]4(acetate)2(DMF)6}∙2DMF: An Inorganic Analogue of M2+(12-crown-4)". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111 (18): 7258. doi:10.1021/ja00200a054.
  2. ^ Mezei, G.; Zaleski, C. M.; V. L., Pecoraro (2007). "Structural and functional evolution of metallacrowns". Chem. Rev. 107 (11): 4933–5003. doi:10.1021/cr078200h. PMID 17999555.