Abstract

Cu+-bis(phenanthroline) is an efficient template in catenane synthesis, and yet the removal of Cu+ to obtain the metal-free catenane is very difficult. 1 Herein, we report a new demetallation method for Cu(I)-bound catenanes that contain a strong binding bis(phenanthroline) cavity using the bidentate ethylenediamine.2 Cu(I) extraction using the organic diamine is mild, convenient and efficient, and the metal can be removed from the kinetically stable catenane complexes in various solvents within 5 minutes, offering an alternative strategy to the use of toxic cyanide.

Reference:

1. Gil-Ramírez, G.; Leigh, D. A.; Stephens, A. J. Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 6110–6150. 
2. Yao, Y.; Deng, Y.; Kong, L.; Au-Yeung, H. Y. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2022, e202200271.