cis-[Ni(μ-ox)(H2O)2]∞: Metal organic coordination polymer assembled by oxalate ligand: Structural and magnetic characterization

ACr(C2O4)2(H2O)4 (A = Li or Na): two new coordination polymers of low dimensionality with different hydrogen-bond networks

Single crystals of two new bimetallic oxalate compounds with the formula [ACr(C₂O₄)₂(H₂O)₄]_n (A = Li or Na), namely catena-poly[[diaqualithium(I)]-μ-oxalato-κ⁴O¹,O²:O^1',O^2'-[diaquachromium(III)]-μ-oxalato-κ⁴O¹,O²:O^1',O^2'], (I), and catena-poly[[diaquasodium(I)]-μ-oxalato-κ⁴O¹,O²:O^1',O^2'-[di-aquachromium(III)]-μ-oxalato-κ⁴O¹,O²:O^1',O^2'], (II), have been synthesized, characterized and their crystal structures elucidated by X-ray diffraction analysis and compared. The compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/m for (I) and in the triclinic space group P-1 for (II); however, they have somewhat similar features. In the asymmetric unit of (I), the Li and Cr atoms both have space-group-imposed 2/m site symmetry, while only half of the oxalate ligand is present and two independent water molecules lie on the mirror plane. The water O atoms around the Li atom are disordered over two equivalent positions separated by 0.54 (4) Å. In the asymmetric unit of (II), the atoms of one C₂O₄^2- ligand and two independent water molecules are in general positions, and the Na and Cr atoms lie on an inversion centre. Taking into account the symmetry sites of both metallic elements, the unit cells may be described as pseudo-face-centred monoclinic for (I) and as pseudo-centred triclinic for (II). Both crystal structures are comprised of one-dimensional chains of alternating trans-Cr(CO)₄(H₂O)₂ and trans-A(CO)₄(H₂O)₂ units μ₂-bridged by bis-chelating oxalate ligands. The resulting linear chains are parallel to the [101] direction for (I) and to the [11-1] direction for (II). Within the two coordination polymers, strong hydrogen bonds result in tetrameric R₄⁴(12) synthons which link the metal chains, thus leading to two-dimensaional supramolecular architectures. The two structures differ from each other with respect to the symmetry relations inside the ligand, the role of electrostatic forces in the crystal structure and the molecular interactions of the hydrogen-bonded networks. Moreover, they exhibit the same UV-Vis pattern typical of a Cr^III centrosymmetric geometry, while the IR absorption shows some differences due to the oxalate-ligand conformation. Polymers (I) and (II) are also distinguished by a different behaviours during the decomposition process, the precursor (I) leading to the oxide LiCrO₂, while the residues of (II) consist of a mixture of sodium carbonate and Cr^III oxide.

Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of the new pentahydrate of bis(2,2'-bipyridine-κ(2)N,N')(oxalato-κ(2)O(1),O(2))nickel(II)

The reaction of NiCl2, K2C2O4·H2O and 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) in water-ethanol solution at 281 K yields light-purple needles of the new pentahydrate of bis(2,2'-bipyridine)oxalatonickel(II), [Ni(C2O4)(C10H8N2)2]·5H2O or [Ni(ox)(bpy)2]·5H2O, while at room temperature, deep-pink prisms of the previously reported tetrahydrate [Ni(ox)(bpy)2]·4H2O [Román, Luque, Guzmán-Miralles & Beitia (1995), Polyhedron, 14, 2863-2869] were gathered. The asymmetric unit in the crystal structure of the new pentahydrate incorporates the discrete molecular complex [Ni(ox)(bpy)2] and five solvent water molecules. Within the complex molecule, all three ligands are bonded as chelates. The complex molecules are involved in an extended system of hydrogen bonds with the solvent water molecules. Additionally, π-π interactions also contribute to the stabilization of the extended structure. The dehydration of the pentahydrate starts at 323 K and proceeds in at least two steps as determined by thermal analysis.