Hierarchical Self-Assembly of an Alkynylplatinum(ll) Bzimpy-Functionalized Metallacage via Pt···Pt and π–π Interactions

A new discrete supramolecular metallacage functionalized with an alkynylplatinum­(ll) 2,6-bis­(benzimidazole-2′-yl)-pyridine (bzimpy) moiety has been successfully constructed via coordination-driven self-assembly. A study on the hierarchical self-assembly behavior of the obtained metallacage revealed that it displayed a solvent-induced emission switch accompanied by enhancement of the emission intensity as a result of the change in intermolecular Pt···Pt and π–π interactions. More interestingly, the metallacage has been found to spontaneously self-assemble into a transparent metallogel at room temperature without a heating–cooling process.