From infinite tubular arrays to discrete molecules and back: An example of reversible ring-opening polymerization in silver(I)-diphosphazane chemistry

Novel silver(I) coordination polymers [Ag2(μ-L)(μ-X)2]n, have been isolated from the reaction of a 'P-N-P' ligand with AgX (X = NO3 or OSO2CF3). The polymeric species consist of infinite tubular arrays formed by interlinking of giant 40-membered rings and exhibit a completely reversible ring-opening polymerization-depolymerization relationship with the dinuclear and mononuclear complexes [{Ag(μ-L)(X)}2] and [Ag(κ2-L)2]X, (L = PriN(PPh2)2).