Synthesis, structure and supramolecular features of heteronuclear iron(III)–copper(II) complexes of a tripodal imidazole containing ligand

•Heteronuclear isomorphous complexes of iron(III) and copper(II) are prepared.•Structures, Mössbauer, EA, IR and ESIMS are reported.•The observed topology is a homochiral 2D sheet.•The hexameric ring contains three alternating metal complexes and water/hydroxides.•Chiral recognition and self resolution are observed.

Reaction of [CuH3L1]X2 (X = ClO4− or BF4−) (H3L1 is the tripodal ligand derived from the condensation of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) with three equivalents of 4-methyl-5-imidazolecarboxaldehyde) with FeL1 in methanol results in isolation of heteronuclear hemideprotonated complexes formulated as {[CuH3L1][FeL1](OH)X}·H2O (X = ClO4− or BF4−). The complexes are characterized by EA, IR, MS single crystal structure determination and Mӧssbauer spectroscopy. The room temperature Mӧssbauer spectra of the complexes consists of a dominant signal attributable to the 2T (low spin) FeL1. The observed topology is a 2D hexameric ring containing alternating three metal complexes and three water/hydroxide sites. Although the overall compound is achiral individual layers of the complex are homochiral.

Graphical abstractHemideprotonated iron(III)–copper(II) complexes of a triprotic ligand, H3L, have been isolated and structurally characterized. The observed topology is a 2D hexameric ring containing three metal and three water/hydroxide sites. Although the overall compound is achiral individual layers of the complex are homochiral.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide