Aminobenzonitrile isomers-mediated self-assembly of mixed-ligand silver(I) coordination architectures: Synthesis, structural characterization and properties

Three mixed-ligand coordination compounds (CCs) of the formula {[Ag(p-abn)(dnca)]·H2O}n (1), {[Ag(o-abn)(dnca)]·H2O}n (2), and {[Ag(m-abn)4)]·(dnca)·H2O} (3) (where p-abn = 4-aminobenzonitrile, o-abn = 2-aminobenzonitrile, m-abn = 3-aminobenzonitrile, Hdnca = 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid) were synthesized by reactions of Ag2O and aminobenzonitrile ligands with Hdnca under the ammoniacal condition. All CCs have been structurally characterized by element analysis, IR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The aminobenzonitrile acts as bidentate μ2-N,N′ ligand in both 1 and 2, and as monodentate ligand in 3. As the change of the relative position of amino and cyano groups of aminobenzonitrile ligands, the dimensionality of 1–3 decreases from 2D to 0D mainly due to the steric effect of the substituted groups, which indicates that aminobenzonitrile isomers play important roles in the formation of the diverse coordination architectures. The three CCs exhibit photoluminescent emissions in the solid state at room temperature.