Influence of dicarboxylic acids on self-assembly process: Syntheses and structural characterization of new Ag(I) complexes derived from mixed ligands

Using the principle of crystal engineering, three new silver metal–organic coordination polymers, [Ag2(L1)2(L2)]·2H2O (1), [Ag2(L1)2(L3)]·H2O (2), [Ag2(L1)2(L4)]·2H2O (3) (L1 = 2-aminopyrimidine, L2 = oxalate anion, L3 = glutarate anion and L4 = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylate anion) have been synthesized by solution phase reactions of silver nitrate with various dicarboxylic acids and cooperative heterocyclic 2-aminopyrimidine ligand under the ammoniacal conditions. All the complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra and X-ray diffraction. In complex 1, L1 ligands are coordinated to Ag(I) metal centers in rare tridentate fashions, forming one-dimensional (1-D) ladder-like structure, which is interlinked by L2 anions to generate 2-D pleated molecular sheet. Complex 2 displays an interesting two-dimensional (2-D) tongue-and-groove structure containing a new kind of “T-shaped” unit. Meanwhile, each of 2-D bilayers is interlocked by four adjacent identical motifs to form three-dimensional (3-D) 5-fold interpenetrating conformation with weak Ag···Ag interactions. In complex 3, L1 ligands are coordinated to the Ag(I) ions to form 1-D polymeric chain. And L4 anions, acting as bridging linkers through corresponding μ2-carboxylates, link a pair of Ag(I) atoms from adjacent chains to yield 3-D supramolecular network. The structures of complexes 1–3 which span from 2-D to 3-D networks suggest that dicarboxylate anions play important role in the formation of such coordination architectures.

Graphical abstractThree new luminescent silver coordination polymers have been successfully synthesized by solution phase reaction of silver nitrate with different dicarboxylates and a cooperative heterocyclic 2-aminopyrimidine ligand under the ammoniacal condition. The structures of the three complexes which span from 2-D to 3-D networks, indicating that dicarboxylates play important roles in the formation of such coordination architectures.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide