Structures and photocatalytic properties of two new Zn(ii) coordination polymers based on semi-rigid V-shaped multicarboxylate ligands.

Two new metal-organic coordination polymers (CPs), aqua-2,2'-bipyridine-5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalatezinc(ii) polymer [Zn(HL)(2,2'-bipy)(HO)] (1) and tris-4,4'-bipyridine-bis-5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalatetrizinc(ii) polymer [Zn(L)2(4,4'-bipy)] (2) (HL = 5-(4'-carboxylphenoxy)isophthalic acid, 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine and 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine), were obtained under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by microanalysis, FTIR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The single crystal X-ray diffraction indicated that in both the CPs the coordination networks exhibited varied topologies and coordination modes around the Zn(ii) centers. CP 1 exhibits a one-dimensional (1D) chain structure, which further forms a 3D supramolecular architecture intermolecular π⋯π and hydrogen bonding interactions, while 2 possesses a 3D framework generated from a 2D layered motif comprising zinc and tripodal carboxylate subunits pillared by 4,4'-bpy ligands.