Bridging ligands comprising two or more di-2-pyridylmethyl or amine arms: Alternatives to 2,2′-bipyridyl-containing bridging ligands

Bridging ligands incorporating 2,2'-bipyridine as a chelating component have been utilised for several decades and are widely employed in coordination chemistry, supramolecular chemistry and materials synthesis. Such ligands form stable 5-membered chelate rings upon coordination to a metal. Two related chelating units, di-2-pyridylamine and di-2-pyridylmethane, which form 6-membered chelate rings when coordinated to a metal, have been studied far less as components of bridging ligands but have recently garnered significant levels of attention. Of around 140 reports on the incorporation of these moieties into bridging ligands some 75% have been published in the last 15 years. This review covers the synthesis of bridging ligands containing di-2-pyridylamine and di-2-pyridylmethane chelating moieties, and a survey of their coordination and supramolecular chemistry. Applications of the resulting systems as structural and functional models of enzyme active sites, and spin-crossover materials, and for investigations into anion-pi interactions are covered. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.