Anion binding by protonated forms of the tripodal ligand tren.

The interaction of the protonated forms of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) with NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), TsO(-), PO(4)(3-), P(2)O(7)(4-), and P(3)O(10)(5-) was studied by means of potentiometric and microcalorimetric measurements in a 0.10 M NMe(4)Cl aqueous solution at 298.1 +/- 0.1 K, affording stability constants and the relevant energetic terms DeltaH degrees and TDeltaS degrees of complexation. Thermodynamic data show that these anion complexation processes are mainly controlled by electrostatic forces, although hydrogen-bond interactions and solvation effects also contribute to complex stability, leading, in some cases, to special DeltaH degrees and TDeltaS degrees contributions. The crystal structures of [H(3)L][NO(3)](3) and [H(3)L][TsO](3) evidence a preferred tridentate coordination mode of the triprotonated ligands in the solid state. Accordingly, the H(3)L(3+) receptor binds a single oxygen atom of both NO(3)(-) and TsO(-) by means of its three protonated fingers, although in the crystal structure of [H(3)L][TsO](3), one conformer displaying bidentate coordination was also found. Modeling studies performed on the [H(3)L(NO(3))](2+) complex suggested that the tridentate binding mode is the preferred one in aqueous solution, while in the gas phase, a different complex conformation in which the receptor interacts with all three oxygen atoms of NO(3)(-) is more stable.