Calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5 as a versatile building block for homo- and heterometallic coordination polymers

•We report two coordination networks of calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5.•HgCl2 forms an exocyclic 1D coordination network.•The endo/exocyclic heteronuclear (HgCl2/KCl) network was also isolated.

Exocoordination-based homonuclear and heteronuclear coordination polymers of calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5 (L) are reported. L reacts with HgCl2 and affords a one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer [L(μ-Hg2Cl4)]n (1) linked by neutral square-type Hg2Cl4 clusters. A straightforward one-pot reaction of L with a mixture of HgCl2 and KCl resulted in the isolation of a heteronuclear species [(K2L)(μ-Hg3Cl8)]n (2) adopting a 1D polymeric structure in which the endocyclic dipotassium(I) complex cation units of L are linked by anionic open double-square type (μ-Hg3Cl8)2 − clusters. Both products form a pseudo 3D framework via interchain H-bonds and their topological analyses were also carried out.

Graphical abstractOne-pot reactions of calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5 with HgCl2 and HgCl2/KCl afforded an exocyclic homonuclear and an endo/exocyclic heteronuclear 1D coordination polymers, respectively.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide