An indirect generation of 1D MII-2,5-dihydroxybenzoquinone coordination polymers, their structural rearrangements and generation of materials with a high affinity for H2, CO2 and CH4.

A series of solid-state structural transformations are found to accompany desolvation of relatively simple coordination polymers to yield materials that exhibit unexpected gas sorbing properties. Reaction of 1,2,4,5-tetrahydroxybenzene with M^II salts (M = Mg, or Zn) in an alcohol/water solution in the presence of air affords cis-M^II(C₆H₂O₄^−II)(H₂O)₂·2H₂O·xROH, (M = Mg, or Zn), crankshaft-like chains in which the absolute configurations of the chiral metal centres follow the pattern …ΔΔΛΛΔΔΛΛ…, and are hydrogen bonded together to generate spacious channels. When crystals of the crankshaft chain are air dried the crystals undergo a single crystal-to-powder rearrangement to form linear trans-M^II(C₆H₂O₄^−II)(H₂O)₂ chains. Further dehydration yields microporous solids that reversibly sorb H₂, CH₄ and CO₂ with high sorption enthalpies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]