Development of supramolecular structure through alkylation of pendant pyridyl functionality
The complex 12+ which has two pendant 4-pyridyl substituents may be viewed as a metal-containing analogue of 4,4′-bipyridine. The complex undergoes N-alkylation reactions with a variety of alkylating agents to give more highly functionalised tetracationic complexes which may be termed metalloviologens by analogy with viologens. These complexes may also be prepared by alkylation of the free ligands
