Novel long bipyridine-type linking ligands containing an intervening naphthalene fragment: [Zn(L)(NO3)2], [Zn(L)(NO3)2], and [Cd(L)1.5(NO3)2] (L = (4-py)-CHN-C10H6-NCH-(4-py); L = (3-py)-CHN-C10H6-NCH-(3-py))

Novel bipyridine-type linking ligands L¹ ((4-py)-CHN-C₁₀H₆-NCH-(4-py)) and L² ((3-py)-CHN-C₁₀H₆-NCH-(3-py)), a pair of isomers due to possessing different pairs of terminal pyridyl groups, were prepared by the Schiff-base condensation. In ligand L¹, the N?N separation between the terminal pyridyl groups is 16.0 Å, with their nitrogen donor atoms at the para positions (4,4′). The corresponding N?N separation in ligand L² is 14.2 Å, with the nitrogen donor atoms at the meta positions (3,3′). 1-D zigzag-chain coordination polymers Zn(L¹)(NO₃)₂] (1) and Zn(L²)(NO₃)₂] (2) were prepared by reactions of Zn(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O with ligands L¹ and L², respectively, by solution diffusion. Polymer 3, Cd(L¹)_1.5(NO₃)₂], prepared from Cd(NO₃)₂ · 4H₂O and L¹, exhibits a 1-D ladder structure, whose repeating ladder unit consists of four Cd metals and four L¹ ligands to create a large 76-membered ring with dimensions of 20.8 × 20.8 Å. All products were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction.