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Invited for this month's cover are Prof. Escárcega‐Bobadilla and Prof. Zelada‐Guillén, collaborators from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The cover picture shows the X‐ray structure of a chartreuse fluorescent Salphen‐Cu complex that upon copolymerization receives dielectric protection from the rest of the chain in solution. This enables cyan luminescence at higher intensity via anion‐guest engulfment which renders dimmer‐like turn‐on emission. More information can be found in the Research Article by G. Zelada‐Guillén, M. V. Escárcega‐Bobadilla, and co‐workers.

The synthesis, characterization and crystallographic analysis is reported of a new Nickel Salphen complex and its radical copolymerization with n ‐butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate to produce novel host macromolecules with tunable association against guest anions. Spectrophotometric titrations of the complex and of the polymers revealed that a supramolecular regulation of guest‐binding accessibility was enabled by the number of Ni‐Salphen units per chain. The latter content in turn, determined the chain size and molecular weight uniformity upon polymerization, and likely increased the strength in interchain/intrachain non‐covalent interactions over the nickel center and the acrylic domains. The study also showed that incorporation of the monomer into the acrylic polymer backbone opened the possibility for the nickel binding site to gain access to host:guest stoichiometric discrimination, switching from 1 : 1 (major) and 1 : 2 (minor) both coexisting for the host when in the free form, to mostly 1 : 2 when in the polymerized version.

Two new glycine-Schiff base copper(II) complexes were synthesized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) allowed us to establish the structure of both complexes in the solid state. The glycine-Schiff base copper(II) complex derived from 2′-hydroxy-5′-nitroacetophenone showed a mononuclear hydrated structure, in which the Schiff base acted as a tridentate ligand, and the glycine-Schiff base copper(II) complex derived from 2′-hydroxy-5′-methylacetophenone showed a less common tetranuclear anhydrous metallocyclic structure, in which the Schiff base acted as a tetradentate ligand. In both compounds, copper(II) had a tetracoordinated square planar geometry. The results of vibrational, electronic, and paramagnetic spectroscopies, as well as thermal analysis, were consistent with the crystal structures. Both complexes were evaluated as catalysts in the olefin cyclopropanation by carbene transference, and both led to very high diastereoselectivity (greater than 98%).

New copper(I) compounds of compositions [Cu(HL)(PPh3)2]·H2O (1) and [Cu(HL)POP]·CH2Cl2 (2), where HL = monoanion of pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, PPh3 = triphenylphosphine and POP = bis [2-(diphenylphosphine)phenyl]ether), are documented. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic techniques (IR, 1H/31P RMN and UV–VIS), cyclic voltammetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Single-crystals for 1 and 2 enabled X-ray diffraction analysis, revealing distorted tetrahedral geometries for Cu(I) centers embedded in NOP2 environments. The crystal structures are stabilized by O−H∙∙∙O, C−H∙∙∙O, C−H∙∙∙π and π∙∙∙π interactions that were analyzed by inspection of the Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots. Compounds 1 and 2 show interesting optical/electrochemical properties, which were studied experimentally in solution by UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, as well as theoretically using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT). Additionally, in combination with the ruthenium complex N719, their efficiency as co-sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was assessed, showing good activity.

We describe the synthesis, crystallographic characterization of a new Cu−Salphen compound and its use as a host Lewis‐acid against guest anions in two versions: a) free molecule, b) copolymerized with methyl methacrylate:n‐butyl acrylate (1 : 4‐wt.) as protective co‐monomers. Higher contents in Cu−Salphen yielded larger and more homogeneous polymer sizes. Polymer size together with glass transitions, heat capacity, thermal degradation, guest‐saturation degrees and host‐guest species distribution profiles from spectrophotometric titrations explained growths of up to 630‐fold in K11 and 180000‐fold in K12 for the host's binding site attributable to a solvophobic protection from the macromolecular structure. Spectrofluorimetry revealed blue‐shifted×13–16 larger luminescence for Cu−Salphen in the polymers (λem=488–498 nm) than that of the non‐polymerized counterpart (λem=510–543 nm) and “turn‐on” blue‐shifted enhanced fluorescence upon guest association. We propose a cooperative incorporation of the guests occurring from the outer medium toward internally protected binding site pockets in the random coil polymer conformations. One‐color cached light beacons. Fluorescence performance of a new Cu−Salphen coordination compound showed blue‐shifted turn‐on one‐order of magnitude higher luminescence when protected by copolymerization to acrylic monomers in chains of different sizes. Higher light emission levels and up to five‐orders of magnitude larger association constants were possible upon host‐guest binding for the polymerized metal complex, after internalization of anion guests into the protective polymer random coils.

Isoniazid is used as anti-tuberculosis drug which possesses functional groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds. A series of cocrystals of isoniazid (INH) with polyphenolic coformers such as catechol (CAT), orcinol (ORC), 2-methylresorcinol (MER), pyrogallol (PYR), and phloroglucinol (PLG) were prepared by solvent-assisted grinding. Powder cocrystals were characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The crystal structure of the cocrystals revealed the unexpected hydration of the INH-MER cocrystal and the preference of the (phenol) O-H ... N (pyridine) and (terminal) N-H ... O (phenol) heterosynthons in the stabilization of the structures. The supramolecular architecture of the cocrystals is affected by the conformation and the substitution pattern of the hydroxyl groups of the polyphenols.

Four new hydrazones were synthesized by the condensation of the selected hydrazine and the appropriate nitrobenzaldehyde. A complete characterization was done employing 1H- and 13C-NMR, electrochemical techniques and theoretical studies. After the characterization and electrochemical analysis of each compound, amoebicidal activity was tested in vitro against the HM1:IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica. The results showed the influence of the nitrobenzene group and the hydrazone linkage on the amoebicidal activity. meta-Nitro substituted compound 2 presents a promising amoebicidal activity with an IC50 = 0.84 μM, which represents a 7-fold increase in cell growth inhibition potency with respect to metronidazole (IC50 = 6.3 μM). Compounds 1, 3, and 4 show decreased amoebicidal activity, with IC50 values of 7, 75 and 23 µM, respectively, as a function of the nitro group position on the aromatic ring. The observed differences in the biological activity could be explained not only by the redox potential of the molecules, but also by their capacity to participate in the formation of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Redox potentials as well as the amoebicidal activity can be described with parameters obtained from the DFT analysis.

Despite the recurrence of aurophilic interactions in the solid-state structures of gold(I) compounds, its rational control, modulation, and application in the generation of functional supramolecular structures is an area that requires further development. The ligand effects over the aurophilic-based supramolecular structures need to be better understood. This paper presents the supramolecular structural diversity of a series of new 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphane)propane (dppp) gold(I) fluorinated thiolates with the general formula [Au2(SRF)2(μ-dppp)] (SRF = SC6F5 (1); SC6HF4-4 (2); SC6H3(CF3)2-3,5 (3); SC6H4CF3-2 (4); SC6H4CF3-4 (5); SC6H3F2-3,4 (6); SC6H3F2-3,5 (7); SC6H4F-2 (8); SC6H4F-3 (9); SC6H4F-4 (10)). These compounds were synthesized and characterized, and six of their solid-state crystalline structures were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the crystalline arrangement, they form aurophilic-bridged polymers. In these systems, the changes in the fluorination patterns of the thiolate ligands tune the aurophilic-induced self-assembly of the compounds causing tacticity and chiral differentiation of the monomers. This is an example of the use of ligand effects on the tune of the supramolecular association of gold complexes.

Six new fluorinated thiosemicarbazones R‑C(R′)=N-NH-C(S)NH2 (R = 2,4-C6H3F2, R′ = H (1); R = 2,5-C6H3F2, R′ = H (2); R = 2,6-C6H3F2, R′ = H (3); R = 3,4-C6H3F2, R′ = H (4); R = 3,5-C6H3F2, R′ = H (5) and R = 4-C6H4F, R′ = C6H5, (6)) have been prepared. The molecular structures of compounds 1 to 6 have been determined.

Phenytoin is an anticonvulsant drug that suffers from low aqueous solubility. The formation of phenytoin salts is a strategy employed to address this issue. A phenytoin–piperidine salt (PPD–PNT) was synthesized by solvent-assisted grinding and characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The IR and NMR spectra obtained differed from those of the starting compounds, showing shifts in the N-H and C=O group signals, as well as the appearance of NH+ signals, indicating proton transfer and salt formation. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of a new solid phase corresponding to the salt. Single crystal X-ray diffraction showed the molecular structure of the PPD–PNT salt.