From insertion of rhodium acetate paddlewheels into functionalized 7-azaindole hydrogen-bonded dimers to infinite architectures.

In order to take advantage of the peculiar mode of interaction consisting in the combination of hydrogen and coordination bonding displayed by the 7-azaindole core towards tetraacetate paddlewheel type complexes, a series of new derivatives, bearing peripheral interacting sites at the position 3, have been prepared and their self-assembly into dimeric H-bonded species was established in the solid state. Furthermore, the heterochelate mode of binding was exploited both in the solid state and in solution using [Rh(2)(OAc)(4)] paddlewheel to generate discrete capped complexes resulting from the coordination of the pyridyl nitrogen atom to the axial position of the Rh(ii) cations and hydrogen bonding between the pyrrolic NH and an oxygen atom of one of the equatorial acetate groups. The extension to infinite hybrid networks was achieved using derivatives bearing self complementary H-bond donor and acceptor groups such as a carboxylic moiety.