Abstract
A new dicarboxylic acid, LH2 , derived from 2-[(2-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl) (phenyl)methyl]-4,6-dimethylphenol (1) was prepared by reacting it with methyl bromoacetate followed by alkaline hydrolysis. Two five-coordinate mononuclear complexes of L with zinc (+2) and copper (+2), [Zn(L)(py)2(H2O)] · H2O · py (IV), and [Cu(L)(py)2(H2O)] (V), were prepared (py = pyridine) and characterized. The packing patterns of these two complexes are different and the H-bond interactions in their lattices are controlled by the presence or absence of water molecules. This difference arises from subtle change in the orientation of carbonyl groups of the carboxylates.