The effect of organic acid on self-assembly process: Syntheses and characterizations of six novel cadmium(II)/zinc(II) complexes derived from mixed ligands

Using the principle of crystal engineering, six metal-organic coordination polymers, Cd(bdc)(3-pytpy)]_n · 2nH₂O (1), Cd(bdc)_0.5(3-pytpy)]_n · n(ClO₄) (2), Cd(ndc)_0.5(3-pytpy)]_n · n(ClO₄) (3), Zn(ndc)(3-pytpy)]_n (4), Cd(bqdc)(3-pytpy)]_n (5), and Zn(pam)(3-pytpy)]_n · 2nH₂O (6) (H₂bdc = benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, H₂ndc = naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, H₂bqdc = 2,2′-biquinoline-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, H₂pam = pamoic acid), were synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 1-6 crystallize in the presence of organic-acid linkers as well as multi-functional N-donor ligand 4′-(3-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (3-pytpy). In complexes 1, 4, 5, and 6, the dicarboxylate as bridging ligand connects metal atoms to form the main body of 1D zigzag chains for 1 and 4, nearly linear chain for 5 and helical chain for 6, while 3-pytpy as tridentate chelating ligand is just like lateral arm grafting on both sides of these chains. In complexes 2 and 3, both the dicarboxylate and 3-pytpy as bridging ligands connect metal atoms into 2D polymeric structure for 2 and 1D chain of alternating loops and rods for 3. The weak interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π···π stacking were investigated on the formation of superamolecular structures and the influence of organic acid on the formation of the final structures was discussed. In addition, the photoluminescent properties of 1-6 were also determined.