d10-Metal coordination polymers based on analogue di(pyridyl)imidazole derivatives and 4,4′-oxydibenzoic acid: influence of flexible and angular characters of neutral ligands on structural diversityElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional figures, TGA of 1–8and luminescent spectrum of L1and L2. CCDC reference numbers 687548–687555 for 1–8. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/b809336a

A series of mixed-ligand coordination complexes, namely [Zn(L1)(oba)] (1), [Cd(L1)(oba)] (2), [Zn2(L2)(oba)2]·8H2O (3), [Cd2(L2)(oba)2]·2H2O (4), [Zn3(L3)(oba)3] (5), [Cd2(L3)(oba)2]·(L3) (6), [Cd(L4)(oba)]·H2O (7) and [Cd(L5)(oba)]·3H2O (8), where L1= 2-(2-pyridyl)imidazole, L2= 1,4-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)imidazol-1-yl]butane, L3= 1,4-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)imidazol-1-ylmethyl]benzene, L4= 1,3-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)imidazol-1-ylmethyl]benzene, L5= 1,2-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)imidazol-1-ylmethyl]benzene and H2oba = 4,4′-oxydibenzoic acid, have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Their structures have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and further characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. In compounds 1and 2, oba2−, L1ligand and ZnIIor CdIIions assemble to form the parallel chains or parallel sheets which are linked by the weak hydrogen bonding and ππ stacking interactions to give the 2D supramolecular sheet or 3D supramolecular net, respectively. For 3, L2ligands connect [Zn(oba)] chains to generate a unusual (10,3)-b topological structure which is the first example for eight-fold interpenetrating framework based on the (10,3)-b net. In 4, L2ligands link [Cd(oba)] double-chains to give a 2D sheet which is assembled by ππ stacking interactions to obtain a 3D supramolecular net. In 5, L3ligands link ZnIIions from α-Po net formed by ZnIIions and oba2−anions to show a novel 3D 8-connected self-penetrating framework with the unreported (416·611·8) topological structure. In 6, the double-chains constructed by CdIIand oba2−anions are linked by one kind of L3ligand to form a layer-like structure which is assembled by ππ stacking interactions to show a 3D supramolecular structure. In 7, oba2−anions coordinate to CdIIcations to form chains which are connected by L4to form a four-fold interpenetrating diamond network. In 8, the weak hydrogen bonding and ππ stacking interactions connect the [Cd(L5)(oba)] chains to give a 2D supramolecular sheet. By careful inspections of the structures of 1–8, we believe that the different flexible and angular neutral ligands, coordination geometries of metal centers and weak interactions (hydrogen bonds and ππ stacking interactions) are crucial factors for the formation of the different structures. The photoluminescent properties of 1–8have been studied in the solid state at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]