Construction of acetate-bridged dicopper(II) hybrid organic–inorganic networks with calix[4]arene-derived nitrogenous ligands

Abstract

The reactions of mono-, bis- and tetrapicolyl-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene derivatives functionalised in the phenolic positions (L ¹ –L ⁴ ) with copper(II) acetate resulted in the formation of discrete complexes or extended coordination polymers. The centrosymmetric dimer [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(L ¹ )₂] 1, obtained with monodentate L ¹ , has square pyramidal coordination around the copper centres and a cone conformer of monopicolyl-calix[4]arene acting as an axial ligand, with a molecule of acetonitrile hosted within its cavity. The potentially bidentate L ² acts as a monodentate ligand, affording the complex [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(L ² )₂] 2, which based on spectroscopic and combustion analysis data has a similar coordination sphere around Cu(II). Compound L ³ bridges two dicopper units in the coordination polymer [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(μ-L ³ )] _n 3, with the calixarene hosting a molecule of tetrahydrofuran. Finally, compound L ⁴ reacts with 4 equivalents of copper(II) acetate, presumably generating a two-dimensional coordination polymer formulated as [{Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄}₂(L ⁴ )] 4.

Keywords:

• calixarenes
• copper
• crystal structure
• hybrid material

Acknowledgements

The authors thank CONACYT for financial support (Proyecto 58408). JO and IC additionally thank DGAPA-UNAM (Proyectos IN2474 and IN216806).