Functionalization of luminescent lanthanide-gallium metallacrowns using copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition and thiol-maleimide Michael addition

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.12.011

The synthesis and characterization of {Ln[12-MC_Ga ^III _N(eshi)-4]}₂(iph)₄ and {Ln[12-MC_Ga ^III _N(shi)-4]}₂(miph)₄ metallacrowns (MCs), where shi

Full text of DOI:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.12.011

Accepted Manuscript
Functionalization
of
luminescent
lanthanide-gallium
metallacrowns using copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition
and thiol-maleimide Michael addition
Jacob C. Lutter, Beatriz A. Lopez Bermudez, Tu N. Nguyen, Jeff
W. Kampf, Vincent L. Pecoraro
PII:
DOI:
Reference:
S0162-0134(18)30583-X
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.12.011
JIB 10617
To appear in:
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry
Received date:
Accepted date:
2 October 2018
21 December 2018
Please cite this article as: Jacob C. Lutter, Beatriz A. Lopez Bermudez, Tu N. Nguyen,
Jeff W. Kampf, Vincent L. Pecoraro , Functionalization of luminescent lanthanide-gallium
metallacrowns using copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition and thiol-maleimide
Michael addition. Jib (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.12.011
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ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Functionalization of Luminescent Lanthanide-Gallium
Metallacrowns using Copper-Catalyzed Alkyne-Azide
Cycloaddition and Thiol-Maleimide Michael Addition
Jacob C. Lutter, Beatriz A. Lopez Bermudez, Tu N. Nguyen1, Jeff W. Kampf, and Vincent L.
Pecoraro*
Willard H. Dow Laboratories, University of Michigan, 930 N. University Ave. Ann Arbor, MI,
USA
1Present Address: Laboratory of Molecular Simulation, Institut des sciences et ingénierie
chimiques (ISIC), Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL Valais), Rue de l’Industrie
17, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
Abstract
III
III
The synthesis and characterization of {Ln[12-MCGa N(eshi)-4]}2(iph)4 and {Ln[12-MCGa
-
N(shi)
4]}2(miph)4 metallacrowns (MCs), where eshi3- is a salicylhydroximate (shi3-) with an ethynyl
functionality and miph2- is an isopthalate (iph2-) with maleimido functionality, is reported. The
ethynyl functionality allows for coupling of MCs to azides using copper(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide
cycloaddition (CuAAC), while the maleimido functionality allows for coupling of the MCs to tiol-
bearing compounds. We demonstrate these coupling reactions using benzyl azide for the former
and cysteamine for the latter, with complete conversion shown by ESI-MS. With the Sm
analogues, the MCs exhibit characteristic luminescent emission of Sm(III), which is preserved
after introducing the ethynyl and maleimido groups onto the MC scaffold. Furthermore, the high
stability of these compounds in solution illustrates that once functionalized, the MCs are promising
for fluorescent imaging applications.

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Keywords: Lanthanide ions, Metallacrowns, Supramolecular chemistry, Alkyne-Azide coupling,
Michael coupling, Luminescence
Introduction
Metallacrowns were introduced by Pecoraro and Lah as inorganic structural analogs to
organic crown ethers in 1989.[1] Since their discovery, this class of coordination complexes has
been involved in a wide variety of topics including host guest binding,[2–5] molecular
magnetism,[6–9] coordination polymers,[10–12] magnetic resonance imaging contrast,[13,14]
and lanthanide luminescence.[15–21] Each of these fields have seen rather interesting
developments,[22–25] but for the purpose of this study the focus will be on lanthanide based
luminescence. Lanthanide(III) ions have attractive properties for use in optical imaging, such as
long lifetimes, narrow characteristic emission, and photobleaching resistance.[26,27] However, an
f-f excitation is Laporte forbidden resulting in low molar absorptivity (ɛ <10 M-1 cm-1) and low
luminescence intensity; therefore, an organic antenna (ɛ ~ 104-105 M-1 cm-1) is often employed to
efficiently absorb light and transfer the absorbed energy from its excited state to the emitting levels
of the lanthanide ion.[27] Metallacrowns and related metallacryptates have been reported as
excellent antenna for lanthanide sensitization,[15–18,21] some of which work very well with near
infrared (NIR) Ln3+ ions and are able to fix and image necrotic HeLa cells selectively.[19,20]
To broaden the application of these excellent lumiphores for both in vitro and in vivo
applications, one needs to develop methods to functionalize the periphery of metallacrowns. One
attractive approach is that of “click” chemistry, which should allow appending a wide variety of
useful molecules ranging from targeting agents to antennae, without disrupting the self-assembled

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core of the metallacrown. The concept of “click” chemistry was introduced by K. Barry Sharpless
in 2001.[28] Formally, he defined a “click” reaction as a C-X-C bond (X is a heteroatom) forming
reaction with a large driving force (> 20 kcal/mol). The reaction should also have a wide scope for
coupling partners and have easily isolable products in benign solvents such as water. The scope of
reactions that falls under “click” chemistry include cycloaddition reactions, nucleophilic ring
opening reactions, carbonyl chemistry towards formation of stable products such as ureas or
amides, and addition to carbon-carbon multiple bonds (such as a Michael addition).
One “click” reaction of interest for this work is the copper-catalyzed alkyne azide [3+2]
cycloaddition (CuAAC). Originally called the Huisgen coupling reaction, this reaction combines
an alkyne and an azide to form a 1,4 substituted triazole, but was limited as it required energy input
in the form of heat.[29] In 2001, Meldal and Sharpless independently discovered that the addition
of copper(I) to this system greatly catalyzes the cycloaddition and allows one to work at ambient
temperatures.[28,30] In addition, the inclusion of copper(I) chelators such as tris[(benzyl-1,2,3-
triazolyl)methyl]amine (TBTA) can also improve the yield and rate of the reaction and opened up
the possibility of its use in bioconjugation.[31] The mechanism for the copper catalyzed
cycloaddition is not fully understood, but based on kinetic studies the reaction appears to be second
order in both the copper catalyst and alkyne, which suggests that the intermediate species has a
ratio of 2 copper(I) to 2 alkyne to one azide.[30] The most likely mechanism which includes this
ratio was proposed by Meldal in 2008. Despite the complexity of this reaction, the results are rather
straightforward and the CuAAC has found use across pharmaceutical and biochemical
communities.
The other “click” reaction employed in this work is the Michael addition between thiols
and maleimides. This reaction is driven by the withdrawing effects of the carbonyl groups along

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with the enhanced reactivity of the alkene site due to ring strain.[32] The thiol-maleimide coupling
reaction results in the formation of a stable thioether bond that cannot be cleaved by reducing
agent; additionally, this reactions occurs rapidly at neutral or slightly acidic conditions, which is a
notable advantage for biological applications.[33,34] The mechanism of thiol-maleimide coupling
is typically described a Michael-type addition with three possible pathways: i) a thiolate-catalyzed
addition of a thiol to a maleimide; ii) formation of thiolate anions from acid-base equilibrium
reactions; and lastly; iii) formation of thiolate anions following a nucleophilic-initiated
mechanism.[32,35] Due to the mild reaction conditions, rapid and high reactivity, and selectivity,
thiol-maleimide Michael “click” conjugation reactions have become a popular and reliable method
of bioconjugation, and more recently a promising tool in polymer and material synthesis.[32]
To incorporate the use of CuAAC and thiol-maleimido coupling onto the metallacrown
archetype, an alkyne functionality was added onto the salicylhydroximate and a maleimido
functionality was included on the isophthalate. Rentschler and coworkers have previously reported
this salicylhydroxamic acid derivative (H3eshi) in 2015 which features an ethyne in the four
position.[36] While that work was focused on coupling azides of interest for magnetic study of
copper 12-MC-4s, this same ligand could be of use with gallium metallacrowns which have
III
lanthanide based luminescence, such as the {Ln[12-MCGa N(shi)-4]}2(iph)4 metallacrown reported
by Pecoraro and coworkers in 2018.[18] This metallacrowns not only features excellent lanthanide
photophysical properties, but also demonstrates a wide range of lanthanide emission. These
features could be useful towards the development of color coding biological assays if these
complexes could be functionalized with appropriate biological markers. In addition, the use of the
thiol-maleimido Michael addition is employed via introduction of a used in the previously reported
structure. The first steps towards such a goal is reported herein as the coupling of these

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lanthanide/gallium 12-MC-4 dimer complexes to small molecules such as benzyl azide or
cysteamine.
Experimental
Synthetic Procedures.
Methyl 4-ethynylsalicylate. Methyl 4-ethynylsalicylate was synthesized by modifying a literature
procedure.[36] Thirty-six mmol (10.01 g, 1 equiv.) of methyl 4-iodosalicylate was dissolved in
180 mL of triethylamine to form a clear and brown solution. Then, 43.2 mmol (6.15 mL, 1.2 equiv.)
of trimethylsilylacetylene was added and stirred. Next, 1.8 mmol (1.2763 g, 0.05 equiv.) of
palladium(II) bis(triphenylphosphine)dichloride and 3.6 mmol (0.6855 g, 0.1 equiv.) of copper(I)
iodide was added and stirred for 24 hours to form a cloudy brown-green solution. The reaction was
quenched by adding 145 mL of 1 M aqueous ammonium chloride and stirring for about a half
hour. This solution was extracted using two 100 mL portions of ethyl acetate, then another three
50 mL portions, and dried over sodium sulfate and gravity filtered. The filtrate was evaporated on
a flash evaporator to give a brown-red oil. The residue was dissolved in 10 mL of dichloromethane
and purified using a silica gel column with an increasing gradient of dichloromethane in hexanes
to yield a yellow oil. The purified intermediate was dissolved in 45 mL of tetrahydrofuran and
treated with 45 mL of 1 M tetrabutylammonium fluoride in tetrahydrofuran for two hours. The
resulting honey-colored mixture was acidified to pH 1 using 1 M aqueous hydrochloric acid, then
mixed with 50 mL of distilled water. The mixture was extracted with four portions of ethyl acetate,
dried over sodium sulfate and gravity filtered. The filtrate was evaporated on a flash evaporator to
yield methyl 4-ethynylsalicylate as a yellow powder. The synthetic yield was 87%. Elemental
analysis of C10H8O3 [fw = 176.17 g/mol] % found (calculated): %C 67.92 (68.18); %H 4.59 (4.58);

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%N 0.00 (0.00). 1H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-DMSO) δ (ppm): 10.54 (1H, s), 7.75 (1H, d), 7.07 (1H,
d), 7.02 (1H, dd), 4.45 (1H, s), 3.88 (3H, s).
4-ethynylsalicylhydroxamic acid (H3eshi). H3eshi was synthesized by modifying a literature
procedure.[36] First, 31.22 mmol of methyl 4-ethynylsalicylate (5.50 g, 1 equiv.) was suspended
in 150 mL of methanol. Separately, 93.66 mmol of hydroxylamine hydrochloride (6.51 g, 3 equiv.)
and 124.88 mmol of potassium hydroxide (8.24 g, 4 equiv.) were dissolved in 150 mL of methanol
to form clear and colorless solutions. The hydroxylamine hydrochloride and potassium hydroxide
solutions were combined, and a colorless potassium chloride precipitate was observed. The
mixture was left to stir for 10 minutes, then the potassium chloride was vacuum filtered from a
clear and colorless filtrate. This filtrate was combined with the suspension of methyl 4-
ethynylsalicylate to form a clear and orange solution. This solution was stirred for 24 hours. Next,
another set of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and potassium hydroxide solutions in 150 mL of
methanol were prepared, combined and filtered as described previously to obtain another clear and
colorless filtrate. This filtrate was combined into the reaction solution and let stir for another 24
hours. The solution was evaporated down to approximately 100 mL using a flash evaporator and
acidified to a pH 1 using 1 M hydrochloric acid. Then 500 mL of distilled water was added
followed by 200 mL of brine. This solution was extracted with ten portions of ethyl acetate, dried
over sodium sulfate and gravity filtered. The filtrate was evaporated using a flash evaporator to a
yellow powder, which was triturated for 20 minutes in 75 mL of dichloromethane. The cloudy
mixture was vacuum filtered to yield 4-ethynylsalicylhydroxamic acid as a yellow powder. The
.
synthetic yield was 85%. Elemental analysis for C9H7NO3 0.15H2O [179.86 g/mol] % found
(calculated): %C 60.22 (60.10); %H 4.16 (4.09); %N 7.81 (7.79). 1H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-DMSO)

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δ (ppm): 12.25 (1H, s), 11.42 (1H, s), 9.39 (1H, s), 7.66 (1H, d), 6.98 (1H, s), 6.96 (1H, d), 4.35
(1H, s).
5-(3-carboxylacrylamide)isophthalic acid. 5-(3-carboxylacrylamide)isophthalic acid was
synthesized by modifying a literature procedure.[37] First, 100 mmol of 5-aminoisophthalic acid
hydrate (19.92 g, 1 equiv.) and 110 mmol of maleic anhydride (10.79 g, 1.1 equiv.) were dissolved
in 200 mL of DMF. The mixture was stirred for  6 hours after which DMF was removed under
vacuum. The obtained product was washed with acetone to give 5-(3-
carboxyacrylamide)isophthalic acid as a yellow powder. The synthetic yield was 68%. Elemental
.
.
analysis for C12H9NO7 0.2 DMF 0.8 H2O [308.23 g/mol] % found (calculated): %C 49.09
(49.10); %H 4.13 (3.92); %N 5.33 (5.45). 1H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-DMSO) δ (ppm): 13.20 (1H, s),
11.08 (1H, s), 10.38 (1H, s), 8.16 (1H, d), 7.67 (1H, dd), 6.96 (1H, d), 6.46 (1H, d), 6.31 (1H, d).
5-maleimidoisophthalic acid (H2miph). 5-maleimidoisophthalic acid was synthesized according to
a known procedure.[37] First, 10.0 mmol of 5-(3-carboxyacrylamide)isophthalic acid (2.79 g, 1
equiv.) was added in to the solution of 15.0 mL acetic anhydride with 5.0 mmol sodium acetate
trihydrate (0.68 g, 1 equiv.). The resulting mixture was stirred at 60oC for 2.5 hours. Acetic
anhydride was then removed under vacuum and water (20.0 mL) was added. The slurry mixture
was stirred at 70oC for another 2 hours, filtered, and washed with copious amount of water. The
white solid obtained is dried under vacuum to give pure 5-maleimidoisophthalic acid. The
synthetic yield was 77%: Elemental analysis for C12H7NO6 [261.19 g/mol] % found (calculated):
1
%C 55. 10 (55.18), %H 2.71 (2.70), %N 5.48 (5.36). H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-DMSO)  (ppm)
8.49 (1H, s), 8.18 (2H, s), 7.24 (2H, s).

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Tris(benzyltriazolylmethyl)amine, TBTA. TBTA was synthesized by modifying literature
procedure for CuAAC in H2O/t-butanol.[38] One mmol of tripropargylamine (142 µL, 1 equiv.)
and 3 mmol of benzyl azide (375 µL, 3 equiv.) were dissolved in 12 mL of a 1:1 H2O:t-butanol
mixture. Next, 0.03 mmol of sodium L-ascorbate was added as a 1M solution in H2O (300 µL,
0.03 equiv.), followed by 0.03 mmol of copper(II) sulfate as a 3M solution in H2O (100 µL, 0.03
equiv.). This mixture was allowed to react for 3 days, then was dissolved in 50 mL of cold H2O.
This mixture was then extracted with five portions of 25 mL of ethyl acetate. The organic layers
were combined, dried over sodium sulfate, then gravity filtered. The filtrate was evaporated using
a flash evaporator, then redissolved in 5 mL of DMF. The solution was evaporated using a flash
evaporator to give TBTA as a brown powder. The synthetic yield was 88%. Elemental analysis for
C30H30N10 . 1.25 C4H10O [fw = 623.04 g/mol] % found (calculated): %C 67.45 (67.47). %H 6.49
(6.84), %N 22.49 (22.48). 1H-NMR (400MHz, d6-DMSO): 8.09 ppm (3H, s), 7.32 ppm (15 H, m),
5.59 (6H, s), 3.61 (6H, s).
III
General synthesis for {Ln[12-MCGa N(eshi)-4]Na}2(iph)4, Ln-e8. Ln-e8 were synthesized by
modifying a literature procedure.[18] 0.125 mmol of Ln(NO3)3.xH2O (Ln = Sm or Y, 1 equiv.)
and 0.6 mmol of Ga(NO3)3 (0.1535 g, 4.8 equiv.) were dissolved in 5 mL of DMF. Separately, 0.6
mmol of H3eshi (0.1063 g, 4.8 equiv.), 0.3 mmol of isophthalic acid (0.0498 g, 2.4 equiv.), and
2.4 mmol of saturated aqueous sodium hydroxide (119.4 µL, 19.2 equiv.) were dissolved in 15 mL
of DMF for form a clear and yellow solution. The solutions were combined and let stir for at least
one hour, then gravity filtered. The filtrate was evaporated slowly over 2-4 weeks yielding yellow-
brown crystalline plates, isolated by vacuum filtration and washing with cold DMF.

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Sm2Ga8(eshi)8(iph)4Na2(DMF)15(H2O)8, Sm-e8. The synthetic yield was 10% based on samarium
nitrate hexahydrate. Elemental analysis for Sm2Ga8C149H169N23O63Na2 [fw = 4194.57 g/mol] %
found (calculated): %C 42.73 (42.67); %H 4.00 (4.06); %N 7.87 (7.68). ESI-MS for
1
Sm2Ga8C104H48N8O40 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1454.19 (1456.22). H-NMR (500 MHz, d4-
MeOH): 8.66 ppm (3H, s), 8.08 ppm (2H, d), 7.56 ppm (1H, t), 7.13 ppm (2H, s), 6.88 ppm (2H,
d), 3.49 ppm (2H, s).
Y2Ga8(eshi)8(iph)4Na2(DMF)16(H2O)12, Y-e8. The synthetic yield was 11% based on yttrium
nitrate hexahydrate. Elemental analysis for Y2Ga8C152H184N24O68Na2 [fw = 4216.82 g/mol] %
found (calculated): %C 41.72 (41.73); %H 3.19 (3.17); %N 6.05 (6.08). ESI-MS for
Y2Ga8C104H48N8O40 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1395.58 (1392.11).1H-NMR (500 MHz, d4-MeOH):
9.07 ppm (1H, s), 8.23 ppm (2H, d), 8.03 ppm, (2H, d), 7.30 ppm (1H, t), 7.09 ppm (2H, s), 6.85
ppm (2H, d), 3.47 ppm (2H, s).
CuAAC on Sm-e8 Metallacrowns to make the benzyl triazyl species Sm-bt8. To obtain a Sm-e8
with all eight functionalities reacted with an azide, a modified literature procedure was used.5 First,
6.65 µmol of TBTA (4.14 mg, 0.525 equiv.), 13.3 µmol of CuI (2.54 mg, 1.05 equiv.), and 13.3
µmol of sodium ascorbate (2.63 mg, 1.05 equiv.) were dissolved in 1 mL of DMSO. Next, 114
µmol of benzyl azide (14.28 uL, 9 equiv.) followed by 12.7 µmol of Sm-e8 (50.00 mg, 1 equiv.)
were added and the reaction was warmed to 75 oC and stirred for 24 hrs. The solution was allowed
to evaporate slowly in a humid environment until a gray powder formed. This powder was isolated
via vacuum filtration and washing with cold water. Elemental analysis shows that TBTA

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precipitates along with the clicked metallacrown. The synthetic yield was 70%. Elemental
.
Analysis for Sm2Ga8C160H104N32O40Na2 TBTA . 14 DMSO . H2O [fw = 5661.72 g/mol] % found
(calculated): %C 46.22 (46.25), %H 4.03 (3.92), %N 10.25 (10.39). ESI-MS for
Sm2Ga8C160H104N32O40 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1986.94 (1988.48).
III
III
General synthesis for {Ln[12-MCGa N(shi)-4]Na}2(miph)4, Ln-m4. First, Ln[12-MCGa
-
N(shi)
4](C7H5O2)4(C5H6N) metallacrowns were synthesized according to a literature procedure.[17]
Then 0.5 mmol (1 equiv.) of metallacrown with Ln = Sm or Y was dissolved in 5-10 mL of DMF
with 1.00 mmol of H2miph (0.26 g, 2 equiv.) and stirred for six hours. The DMF was evaporated
using a vacuum, and the powder obtained was washed with methanol to yield pure product.
Sm2Ga8(shi)8(miph)4Na2(CH3OH)3(H2O)19, Sm-m4. The synthetic yield was 81% based on
metallacrown. Elemental Analysis for Sm2Ga8C170H102N12O70Na2 [fw = 3580.49 g/mol] % found
(calculated): %C 35.94 (35.89), %N 2.84 (2.89), %H 4.76 (4.69). ESI-MS for
1
Sm2Ga8C104H52N12O48 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1547.73 (1550.22). H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-
DMSO) δ (ppm): 8.33 (m, 1H), 7.95 (broad s, 2H), 7.51 (td, 2H), 7.20 (d, 2H), 6.91 (broad s, 2H),
6.71 (broad s, 2H), 5.46 (broad s, 2H).
Y2Ga8(shi)8(miph)4(C5H6N)2(C5H5N)2(CH3OH)(C3H7NO)2(H2O)12, Y-m4. The synthetic yield was
84% based on metallacrown. Elemental Analysis for Y2Ga8C131H116N18O63 [fw = 3686.03 g/mol]
% found (calculated): %C 42.63 (42.69), %N 3.07 (3.17), %H 6.85 (6.84). ESI-MS for
1
Y2Ga8C104H52N12O48 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1486.70 (1486.21). H-NMR (400 MHz, d6-

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DMSO) δ (ppm): 8.96 (d, 1H), 8.04 (d, 2H), 7.87 (t, 2H), 7.22 (t, 2H), 7.07 (s, 2H), 6.87 (t, 2H),
6.69 (t, 2H).
Thiol Michael Addition on Sm-m4 Metallacrowns to make the thioether Sm-te4. Sm-m4 (0.020
mmol) and cysteamine (0.18 mmol) were mixed in 2 mL DMF. After 4 hours, DMF was
evaporated under vacuum and the obtained powder was washed with methanol to give the pure
product. The synthetic yield was >95%. Elemental Analysis for Sm2Ga8C116H148N16O78S4Na2 [fw
= 4047.22 g/mol] % found (calculated): %C 34.38 (34.43), %H 3.56 (3.69), %N 5.45 (5.54). ESI-
MS for Sm2Ga8C112H80N16O48S4 [M]2-, found (calculated): 1702.18 (1704.28).
Physical Methods. ESI-QTOF MS was performed on an Agilent 6520 Accurate-Mass Q-TOF
LC/MS quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer in negative ion mode with a fragmentation
voltage of 250 V. Samples were prepared by dissolving approximately 1 mg of compound in 1 mL
of methanol, then diluting 20 µL of the solution into another 1 mL of methanol. Samples were
directly injected using a syringe (without the HPLC or autosampler). Data were processed with
Agilent MassHunter Qualitative Analysis software. Elemental analysis was performed on a Carlo
Erba 1108 elemental analyzer and a PerkinElmer 2400 elemental analyzer by Atlantic Microlabs,
Inc.
Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. 1H NMR spectra were collected using a 400 MHz Varian
MR400 or 500 MHz Varian vnmrs 500 spectrometer. Solutions were prepared in d6-DMSO or d4-
MeOH and collected using a standard pulse sequence for 45o excitation. Spectra were processed
using MestraNOVA 6.0 software.

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1H-1H COSY. COSY experiments were performed in a mixture of 9:1 d4-MeOH and d6-DMSO
using a 500 MHz Varian vnmrs 500 spectrometer using a standard pulse sequence with 16 scans
using 128 T1 increments. Spectra were processed using MestraNOVA 6.0 software.
X-ray Crystallography. Colorless plates of Sm-e8 were grown from a N,N-dimethylformamide
solution of the compound at ambient conditions. A crystal of dimensions 0.17 x 0.15 x 0.15 mm
was mounted on a Rigaku AFC10K Saturn 944+ CCD-based X-ray diffractometer equipped with
a low temperature device and Micromax-007HF Cu-target micro-focus rotating anode (λ =
1.54187 Å) operated at 1.2 kW power (40 kV, 30 mA). The X-ray intensities were measured at
85(1) K with the detector placed at a distance 42.00 mm from the crystal. A total of 2028 images
were collected with an oscillation width of 1.0 o in ω. The exposure times were 1 sec. for the low
angle images, 3 sec. for high angle. Rigaku d*trek images were exported to CrysAlisPro for
processing and corrected for absorption.[39] The integration of the data yielded a total of 151350
reflections to a maximum 2θ value of 69.55o of which 18269 were independent and 17636 were
greater than 2σ(I). The final cell constants (Table S1) were based on the xyz centroids of 71740
reflections above 10σ(I). Analysis of the data showed negligible decay during data collection.
The structure was solved and refined with the Bruker SHELXTL (version 2018/3) software
package[40], using the space group P21/n with
Z
=
2
for the formula
C137.6H140.4Ga8N19.2Na2O64.2Sm2. All non-hydrogen atoms were refined anisotropically with the
hydrogen atoms placed in idealized positions, with the exception of H21A, H21B, H22A, H22B,
H23A, H23B, H24A, H24B which were refined from the difference map using DFIX and DANG
restraints. Full matrix least-squares refinement based on F2 converged at R1 = 0.0555 and wR2 =

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0.1680 [based on I > 2sigma(I)], R1 = 0.0568 and wR2 = 0.1700 for all data. The SQUEEZE
subroutine of the PLATON program suite was used to address the disordered solvent present in
the structure.[41] Additional details are presented in Table S1 and are given as Supporting
Information in a CIF file.
Absorption Spectroscopy. Solution-state UV-vis spectra were collected on samples dissolved in
methanol or a 9:1 mixture of methanol and DMF (approx. 100 μM) using a Cary 100Bio UV-Vis
spectrophotometer in absorbance mode. Extinction coefficients were determined using the Beer-
Lambert law by measuring five serial additions of the 100 mM stock to 3 mL of methanol. Data
were processed using Microsoft Excel 2013 and SigmaPlot 10 software.
Solution-state Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Approximately 2 µM solutions of metallacrown were
prepared and measured for solution state excitation and emission using a Horiba Scientific
Fluoromax 4 fluorimeter in a 1 mL quartz cuvette. Excitation spectra were measured using a λem
of 595 nm and a slit width of 2 nm for the excitation and a slit width of 5 nm for the emission.
Emission spectra were recorded using a λex of 315 nm for Sm-m4 and Sm-te4 or λex of 340 nm for
Sm-e8 and Sm-bt8 with an excitation slit width of 5 nm and an emission slit width of 2 nm.
Background spectra of methanol were recorded and used to subtract second harmonic artifacts.
Data were processed using Origin 8 and SigmaPlot 10 software.
Results and Discussion
Synthesis and Structure. Stoichiometric addition of the metallacrown components results in
desired coordination complexes with samarium or yttrium. Consistent ESI-MS, elemental analysis,

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1
and H-NMR demonstrate the formation of a consistent composition of either {Ln[12-
III
III
MCGa N(eshi)-4]}2(iph)4 or {Ln[12-MCGa N(shi)-4]}2(miph)4 for each respective lanthanide (Figure
2, Figure 3, and Figures S7-10, Supporting Information). Sm-e8 crystallized in the space group
P21/n from slow evaporation of DMF and the resulting structure is shown in Figure 1. The overall
III
structure is reminiscent of a previously reported {Dy[12-MCGa N(shi)-4]}2(iph)4 metallacrown[18]
except that the shi3- hydroximate is now eshi3- and sodium countercations were used instead of the
ammonium ions in the original structure. The samarium(III) are eight-coordinate where four oxime
oxygens from the metallacrown comprise one face of a distorted square antiprism and four
carboxylate oxygens bind from the isophthalate ligands to form the other. The gallium ions are in
six-coordinate pseudo-octahedral geometry where the equatorial positions are occupied by the
metallacrown chelate motif from the hydroximates, one axial position is filled by a carboxylate
oxygen on isophthalate, and the other axial site is coordinated to a solvent molecule. The sodium
counter cations are also incorporated into the solid state structure on the opposite face of the
metallacrown from the samarium in a nine-coordinate monocapped square antiprism geometry,
where four sites are occupied by metallacrown oxime oxygens, four are filled by solvents, and the
final apical position is filled by a solvent with 50% occupancy. This sodium binding motif has
been observed in two previously reported metallacrowns using gallium(III) or
manganese(III).[42,43]

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Figure 1. X-ray crystal structure of Sm-e8. Solvent molecules and hydrogen atoms are removed for
clarity. The color scheme for atoms is the following: Sm = green; Na = purple, C = grey, N = blue, O =
red.
1
Solution state composition was determined from consistent ESI-MS and H-NMR for the Sm3+
and Y3+ analogs in methanol solutions. ESI-MS shows spectra with only one peak present with a
-2 charge of consistent mass for the metallacrown moiety (Figure S1, Supporting Information).
1
Sm-e8, Y-e8, Sm-m4 and Y-m4 have H-NMR spectra consistent with a fourfold symmetric
complex where integration gives a two to one ratio between the iph2- and the shi3- derivatives
(Figures S7-10, Supporting Information). The peak assignment was confirmed using COSY for Y-
e8 and Y-m4, where expected correlations between peaks related to the salicylhydroximate or the
isophthalate are observed for each ligand (Figures S11 and S12, Supporting Information). Taken
1
together, the observation of a single peak in ESI-MS and well defined H-NMR spectra suggest
that the complex is solution stable. To confirm the long term stability of these metallacrowns ESI-
MS in methanol (Figure S13) was performed. Both Y-m4 and the yttrium analog of the previously
reported unmodified metallacrown dimer were dissolved in the same solution, which was

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monitored over the course of five days. After five days both peaks are still observed as discrete
species, suggesting there is no exchange of ligands.
Coupling of Small Molecules to a Metallacrown. The CuAAC reaction was carried out as described
in the experimental section above to isolate a grey solid. ESI-MS on this recovered solid shows a
-2 peak at 1986.94 m/z which is consistent with complete conversion of the ethnyne to a benzyl
triazole on Sm-e8 (Figure 2). This result demonstrates that it is possible to transfer the CuAAC
method reported by Rentschler and coworkers onto non-cupric metallacrown scaffolds without
altering the metallacrown by replacing either gallium or lanthanide ions with copper ions.
Figure 2. ESI-MS of the fully coupled Sm-bt8 with eight benzyl azides. The spectrum was collected in
methanol in negative ion mode with a fragmentation voltage of 250V. The background spectrum was
not subtracted.

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The Michael Addition was carried out on a maleimido functionality on the isophthalate bridge to
form a thioether linkage as described in the experimental section above. Four cysteamine
molecules were appended to the metallacrown demonstrating a complete conversion of the
maleimide to a succinamide thioether. ESI-MS shows a single peak at 1702.18 m/z which
corresponds to the complete conversion of all four malimido functional groups to a coupled
thioether with cysteamine (Figure 3).
Figure 3. ESI-MS of the fully coupled Sm-te4 with four cysteamine. The spectrum was collected in
methanol in negative ion mode with a fragmentation voltage of 250V. The background spectrum was
subtracted once.
These results highlight two interesting ideas. The first is that one may incorporate the capability
to couple molecules of interest to these metallacrown species using either an ethynyl functionality
or a maleimido functionality. The second is that since these functional groups are either on the

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hydroximate or the carboxylate ligand of the metallacrown, one may strive for orthogonal
functionality where the CuAAC reaction may lead to coupling of one molecule, while the
maleimido could couple another molecule independently of one another, all on the same
metallacrown scaffold.
III
Optical Properties. The reported {Sm[12MCGa N(shi)-4]}2(iph)4 metallacrown was synthesized
according to the published procedure and used as a basis of comparison.[18] The solution state
absorbance of Sm-e8, Sm-m4, Sm-bt8 and Sm-te4 analogs was measured in methanol solutions.
The absorbance spectrum for each analog shown in Figure 4 have a π-π* transition band with λmax
of approximately 315 nm (31,750 cm-1) or 335 nm (29,850 cm-1). This π-π* transition is red-shifted
by close to 25 nm from the original shi3- metallacrown in the case of Sm-e8 and Sm-bt8. The
redshift in this band also shows a redshift in the S1 energy determined as the absorbance edge from
340 nm to 370 nm. There is no notable redshift in this absorbance for Sm-m4 or Sm-te4. Solution-
state excitation and emission spectra were also determined for the samarium metallacrowns. The
extinction coefficients do not appreciably change after coupling is performed on the metallacrown.
Characteristic Sm3+ emission bands are observed with bands at 560 nm (4G5/2 6H5/2), 595 nm
(4G5/2 6H7/2), 645 nm (4G5/2 6H9/2), and 700 nm (4G5/2 6H11/2) (Figure 5). The excitation
spectrum (Figure 5) shows a smooth region between 250 and 360 nm indicative of an antenna
effect sensitization for Sm-e8 and Sm-bt8, while Sm-m4 and Sm-te4 show sensitization between
250 nm and 345 nm. The antenna effect region edge is redshifted by approximately 15 nm between
the two spectroscopic profiles. It also important to note that the capability to sensitize samarium
is preserved after coupling a small molecule to the metallacrown.

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Figure 4. UV-Vis absorbance of samarium metallacrown complexes in approx. 2-3 µM
methanol solution at room temperature.
Figure 5. Solution state excitation (λem = 595 nm, left) and emission (λex = 315 or 340 nm, right)
spectra of samarium metallacrowns collected in approx. 2 µM solutions at room temperature.
Background spectra were subtracted to remove second harmonic artifacts.

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Conclusions
The tunable nature of metallacrown scaffolds was exploited to incorporate an ethynyl and
a maleimido functionality onto a known metallacrown structure in a controlled fashion. The eshi3-
ligand was able to operate as an antenna for lanthanide sensitization where both the UV-vis
absorbance and excitation spectra show a significant redshift compared to the original shi3-
metallacrown. The ethynyl group was coupled to benzyl azide to fully convert Sm-e8 from eight
ethynyes to 8 benzyl triazoles and was confirmed using mass spectrometry. Similarly, the
conversion of a maleimido to a thioether was shown on Sm-m4 using cysteamine. The ability to
sensitize samarium is preserved after each coupling is accomplished indicating that this could be
a useful route for coupling other organic azides or thiol-bearing molecules of interest to a
luminescent metallacrown complex.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the National Science Foundation [CHE-1664964 and CHE-0840456].
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Graphical Abstract
Functionalization of lanthanide/gallium metallacrowns is demonstrated using both alkyne-azide
cycloaddition and thiol-maleimido Michael addition. An ethynyl functionality is incorporated
onto salicylhydroximate while a maleimido functionality is attached to an isophthalate ligand.
Samarium(III) emission is observed after coupling suggesting that metallacrowns may be used as
lanthanide lumiphores with orthogonal functionalization potential.

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Highlights
 Functionalizable lanthanide/gallium metallacrown complexes were synthesized
 Alkyne-Azide Cycloaddition was performed on hydroximate ligands
 Thiol-Maleimido Michael Addition was performed on isopthalate ligands
 Characteristic samarium(III) emission is observed before and after coupling
 These results show potential for orthogonal functionalization on metallacrowns