Encapsulation of Cationic Ruthenium Complexes into a Chiral Self-Assembled Cage

Abstract
A chiral supramolecular assembly encapsulates the two cationic ruthenium sandwich complexes [CpRu(η6-C6H6)]+ and [CpRu(p-cymene)]+. The host−guest complexes K11[CpRu(η6-C6H6) ⊂ Ga4L6] (2) and K11[CpRu(p-cymene) ⊂ Ga4L6] (3) were characterized by one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques as well as by electrospray mass spectrometry. Encapsulation of the prochiral complex [CpRu(p-cymene)]+ by the chiral host renders enantiotopic protons diastereotopic as evidenced by 1H NMR spectroscopy.