A Family of Cagelike Mn-Silsesquioxane/Bathophenanthroline Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic and Antifungal Activity.

This study reports a novel family of cage manganesesilsesquioxanes prepared via complexation with bathophenanthroline (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline). The resulting Mn-, MnLi-, and MnNa-compounds exhibit several unprecedented cage metallasilsesquioxane structural features, including intriguing self-assembly of silsesquioxane ligands. Complexes were tested for fungicidal activity against seven classes of phytopathogenic fungi. The representative MnNa-complex acts as a catalyst in the cycloaddition of CO to epoxides under solvent-free conditions to form cyclic carbonates in good yields.