Facile Preparation of Organometallic Nanorods from Various Ethynyl-Substituted Molecules

A facile method to prepare one-dimensional (1D) organometallic nanomaterials from various ethynyl-substituted molecules is reported. The reactions of 3-chloro-1-ethynylbenzene, p-tBu-phenylacetylene and 4-ethynylbiphenyl with Cu⁺ ions in acetonitrile yield nanorod-shaped copper acetylides (Cu-C≡C-R) crystals. In the case of linear alkynes, namely, propyne, 1-pentyne and 1-hexyne, it was found that using an aqueous ammonia/ethanol mixed solvent instead of acetonitrile is a better approach to obtain 1D nanostructures. This procedure also enables us to prepare functional 1D nanomaterials. We demonstrate the preparation of a paramagnetic nanorod from the organic radical p-ethynylphenyl nitronyl nitroxide, and fluorescent nanorods from 9-ethynylphenanthrene and 2-ethynyl-9,9'-spirobifluorene.