Dinuclear mono-bridged or polymeric lanthanide complexes from one ligand: structural transformation and chiral induction.

We designed and synthesized a semi-rigid bis-tridentate ligand L which could undergo a trans -to- cis conformational transition when coordinated onto lanthanum ions through the rotation of the single bond on the central terphenyl bridge. By adjusting the metal/ligand ratio, a single-ligand bridged dinuclear complex La 2 L 3 and an infinitely extending two-dimensional layered metal organic polymer (La 2 L 2 ) n can be obtained. Through the induction of the chiral auxiliary ligand G R / S , these two achiral assemblies could both be transformed into the chiral mononuclear three-component complex La LG R / S . In addition, we also realized a linear ee sensing for the auxiliary ligand by induced circular dichroism.