A novel three‐dimensional framework constructed by 2‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]‐1H‐benzimidazole and infinite chains of hydrogen‐bonded water molecules

A novel three‐dimensional framework of 2‐[(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]‐1H‐benzimidazole dihydrate, C₁₁H₁₀N₄·2H₂O or L·2H₂O, (I), in which L acts as both hydrogen‐bond acceptor and donor in the supramolecular construction with water, has been obtained by self‐assembly reaction of L with H₂O. The two independent water molecules are hydrogen bonded alternately with each other to form a one‐dimensional infinite zigzag water chain. These water chains are linked by the benzimidazole molecules into a three‐dimensional framework, in which each organic molecule is hydrogen bonded by three water molecules. This study shows that the diversity of hydrogen‐bonded patterns plays a crucial role in the formation of the three‐dimensional framework. More significantly, as water molecules are important in contributing to the conformation, stability, function and dynamics of biomacromolecules, the infinite chains of hydrogen‐bonded water molecules seen in (I) may be a useful model for water in other chemical and biological processes.     

A Systematic Study of Fluorescence‐Based Detection of Nitroexplosives and Other Aromatics in the Vapor Phase by Microporous Metal–Organic Frameworks

A systematic study is conducted on four microporous metal–organic framework compounds built on similar ligands but different structures, namely [Zn₃(bpdc)₃(bpy)] ? 4 DMF ? H₂O ( 1 ), [Zn₃(bpdc)₃(2,2′dmbpy)] ? 4 DMF ? H₂O ( 2 ), [Zn₂(bpdc)₂(bpe)] ? 2 DMF ( 3 ), and [Zn(bpdc)(bpe)] ? DMF ( 4 ) (bpdc=4,4′‐biphenyldicarboxylate; bpy=4,4′‐bipyridine; 2,2′dmbpy=2,2′‐dimethyl‐4,4′bipyridine; bpe=1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethane; DMF=N,N′‐dimethylformamide) to investigate their photoluminescence properties and sensing/detection behavior upon exposure to vapors of various aromatic molecules (analytes) including nitroaromatic explosives. The results show that all four compounds are capable of detecting these molecules in the vapor phase through fluorescence quenching or enhancement. Both electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations are performed to analyze the analyte–MOF interactions, to explain the difference in signal response by different analytes, and to understand the mechanism of fluorescence quenching or enhancement observed in these systems. Interestingly, compound 3 also shows an emission frequency shift when exposed to benzene (BZ), chlorobenzene (ClBZ), and toluene (TO), which provides an additional variable for the identification of different analytes in the same category.     

Luminescent properties of three structures built from 3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olate and cadmium

Yellow–orange tetraaquabis(3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κN³)cadmium(II) dihydrate, [Cd(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₄]·2H₂O, (I), and yellow tetraaquabis(3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κN³)cadmium(II) 1,4‐dioxane solvate, [Cd(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₄]·C₄H₈O₂, (II), contain centrosymmetric mononuclear Cd²⁺ coordination complex molecules in different conformations. Dark‐red poly[[decaaquabis(μ₂‐3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κ²N:N′)bis(μ₂‐3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐1H‐pyrrole‐2,5‐diolato‐κ²N:N′)tricadmium] hemihydrate], [Cd₃(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(C₈N₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₁₀]·0.5H₂O, (III), has a polymeric two‐dimensional structure, the building block of which includes two cadmium cations (one of them located on an inversion centre), and both singly and doubly charged anions. The cathodoluminescence spectra of the crystals are different and cover the wavelength range from UV to red, with emission peaks at 377 and 620 nm for (III), and at 583 and 580 nm for (I) and (II), respectively.     

Two‐Step Spin Transition in a 1D FeII 1,2,4‐Triazole Chain Compound

A thermochromic 1D spin crossover coordination (SCO) polymer [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ? 2 H₂O ( 1? 2 H₂O), whose precursor βAlatrz, (1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl‐propionate) has been tailored from a β‐amino acid ester is investigated in detail by a set of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared, and Raman measurements. An hysteretic abrupt two‐step spin crossover (T_1/2^↓=230 K and T_1/2^↑=235 K, and T_1/2^↓=172 K and T_1/2^↑=188 K, respectively) is registered for the first time for a 1,2,4‐triazole‐based Fe^II 1D coordination polymer. The two‐step SCO configuration is observed in a 1:2 ratio of low‐spin/high‐spin in the intermediate phase for a 1D chain. The origin of the stepwise transition was attributed to a distribution of chains of different lengths in 1? 2 H₂O after First Order Reversal Curves (FORC) analyses. A detailed DFT analysis allowed us to propose the normal mode assignment of the Raman peaks in the low‐spin and high‐spin states of 1? 2 H₂O. Vibrational spectra of 1? 2 H₂O reveal that the BF₄^? anions and water molecules play no significant role on the vibrational properties of the [Fe(βAlatrz)₃]²⁺ polymeric chains, although non‐coordinated water molecules have a dramatic influence on the emergence of a step in the spin transition curve. The dehydrated material [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](BF₄)₂ ( 1 ) reveals indeed a significantly different magnetic behavior with a one‐step SCO which was also investigated.     

A new polymorph of 1,4‐bis(imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene dihydrate and its hydrogen‐bonded fivefold interpenetrated CdSO4 network

Single crystals of a new polymorph of 1,4‐bis(imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene dihydrate (bix·2H₂O), C₁₄H₁₄N₄·2H₂O, have been obtained by the hydrothermal method. The asymmetric unit is composed of two independent half‐bix molecules, one on an inversion center and one on a twofold axial site, and two water molecules. The disordered water molecules link into discrete tetrameric water units via two O—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming planar R₄⁴(8) rings. These tetrameric water units and bix molecules are further linked by two O—H...N hydrogen bonds into a three‐dimensional network in which an (106) hydrogen‐bonded ring is observed. These large rings lead to the formation of a fivefold interpenetrated network. If both the tetrameric water units and the bix molecules can be regarded as connected nodes, one single three‐dimensional net can then be rationalized as a CdSO₄ network. This study indicates that topological methodology can be applied in some cases in order to understand the inherent characteristics of some hydrogen‐bonded supramolecular assemblies.     

The three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded structures in the ammonium and sodium salt hydrates of 4‐aminophenylarsonic acid

The structures of two hydrated salts of 4‐aminophenylarsonic acid (p‐arsanilic acid), namely ammonium 4‐aminophenylarsonate monohydrate, NH₄⁺·C₆H₇AsNO₃⁻·H₂O, (I), and the one‐dimensional coordination polymer catena‐poly[[(4‐aminophenylarsonato‐κO)diaquasodium]‐μ‐aqua], [Na(C₆H₇AsNO₃)(H₂O)₃]_n, (II), have been determined. In the structure of the ammonium salt, (I), the ammonium cations, arsonate anions and water molecules interact through inter‐species N—H...O and arsonate and water O—H...O hydrogen bonds, giving the common two‐dimensional layers lying parallel to (010). These layers are extended into three dimensions through bridging hydrogen‐bonding interactions involving the para‐amine group acting both as a donor and an acceptor. In the structure of the sodium salt, (II), the Na⁺ cation is coordinated by five O‐atom donors, one from a single monodentate arsonate ligand, two from monodentate water molecules and two from bridging water molecules, giving a very distorted square‐pyramidal coordination environment. The water bridges generate one‐dimensional chains extending along c and extensive interchain O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen‐bonding interactions link these chains, giving an overall three‐dimensional structure. The two structures reported here are the first reported examples of salts of p‐arsanilic acid.     

Poly[[diaqua(μ3‐2,2‐dimethylmalonato)cadmium(II)] tetrahydrate]

In the title complex, {[Cd(C₅H₆O₄)(H₂O)₂]·4H₂O}_n, the dimethylmalonate–cadmium metal–organic framework co‐exists with an extended structure of water molecules, which resembles a sodalite‐type framework. In the asymmetric unit, there are five independent solvent water molecules, two of which are in special positions. The Cd atoms are eight‐coordinated in a distorted square‐antiprismatic geometry by six O atoms of three different dimethylmalonate groups and by two water molecules, and form a two‐dimensional honeycomb layer parallel to the bc plane. Two such layers sandwich the hydrogen‐bonded water layer, which has a sodalite‐type structure with truncated sodalite units composed of coordinated and solvent water molecules. This work is the first example of a dimethylmalonate cadmium complex containing truncated sodalite‐type water clusters.     

Two two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded coordination networks: bis(3‐carboxybenzoato‐κO)bis(4‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole‐κN3)copper(II) and bis(3‐methylbenzoato‐κN)bis(4‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole‐κN3)copper(II) monohydrate

The title two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded coordination compounds, [Cu(C₈H₅O₄)₂(C₄H₆N₂)₂], (I), and [Cu(C₈H₇O₂)₂(C₄H₆N₂)₂]·H₂O, (II), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The molecule of complex (I) lies across an inversion centre, and the Cu²⁺ ion is coordinated by two N atoms from two 4‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole (4‐MeIM) molecules and two O atoms from two 3‐carboxybenzoate (HBDC⁻) anions in a square‐planar geometry. Adjacent molecules are linked through intermolecular N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds into a two‐dimensional sheet with (4,4) topology. In the asymmetric part of the unit cell of (II) there are two symmetry‐independent molecules, in which each Cu²⁺ ion is also coordinated by two N atoms from two 4‐MeIM molecules and two O atoms from two 3‐methylbenzoate (3‐MeBC⁻) anions in a square‐planar coordination. Two neutral complex molecules are held together via N—H...O(carboxylate) hydrogen bonds to generate a dimeric pair, which is further linked via discrete water molecules into a two‐dimensional network with the Schläfli symbol (4³)₂(4⁶,6⁶,8³). In both compounds, as well as the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds, π–π interactions also stabilize the crystal stacking.     

Water de/adsorption associated with single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal structural transformation of a series of two‐dimensional metal–organic frameworks, [M(bipy)(C4O4)(H2O)2]·3H2O (M = Mn (1), Fe (2), and Zn (3), and bipy=4,4′‐bipyridine)

An assembly of three metal coordination polymers (CPs), [M(bipy)(C₄O₄)(H₂O)₂]·3H₂O (M = Mn ( 1 ), Fe ( 2 ), Zn ( 3 ), and bipy = 4,4′‐bipyridine, C₄O₄^2? (squarate) = dianion of H₂C₄O₄ (squaric acid)), was synthesized and structurally characterized. Single‐crystal X‐ray structural determination reveals that compounds 1 – 3 are iso‐structural, in which the M(II) ions are six‐coordinate in a distorted octahedral geometry. C₄O₄^2? and bipy both act as bridging ligands with bis‐monodentate coordination mode connecting the M(II) ions to form a two‐dimensional (2D) layered metal–organic framework (MOF). Adjacent 2D layers are then arranged in parallel and interpenetrated manners to construct their three‐dimensional (3D) supramolecular architecture. Compounds 1 , 2 , and 3 undergo two‐step dehydration processes with the first and second weight losses of 14.1 and 8.6% for 1 , of 12.1 and 7.5% for 2, and of 11.2 and 8.1% for 3 , respectively, corresponding to the weight losses of the three guest water molecules and the two coordinated water molecules, and all exhibit reversible sponge‐like water de/adsorption properties during de/rehydration processes for guest water molecules as per cyclic thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SCSC) structural transformation during the reversible de/rehydration processes of three guest water molecules was identified and monitored using exhaustive single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction measurements.     

Water‐induced pseudo‐quadruple hydrogen‐bonding motifs in xanthine–inorganic acid complexes

In xanthinium nitrate hydrate [systematic name: 2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydro‐9H‐purin‐7‐ium nitrate monohydrate], C₅H₅N₄O₂⁺·NO₃⁻·H₂O, (I), and xanthinium hydrogen sulfate hydrate [systematic name: 2,6‐dioxo‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydro‐9H‐purin‐7‐ium hydrogen sulfate monohydrate], C₅H₅N₄O₂⁺·HSO₄⁻·H₂O, (II), the xanthine molecules are protonated at the imine N atom with the transfer of an H atom from the inorganic acid. The asymmetric unit of (I) contains a xanthinium cation, a nitrate anion and one water molecule, while that of (II) contains two crystallographically independent xanthinium cations, two hydrogen sulfate anions and two water molecules. A pseudo‐quadruple hydrogen‐bonding motif is formed between the xanthinium cations and the water molecules via N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds in both structures, and leads to the formation of one‐dimensional polymeric tapes. These cation–water tapes are further connected by the respective anions and aggregate into two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded sheets in (I) and three‐dimensional arrangements in (II).     

Triaqua(μ‐7‐iodo‐8‐oxidoquinoline‐5‐sulfonato‐κ2N,O8)dioxidouranium(VI) dihydrate

In the title compound, [U(C₉H₄INO₄S)O₂(H₂O)₃]·2H₂O, the asymmetric unit contains a UO₂²⁺ ion coordinated by the N and O atoms of a 7‐iodo‐8‐oxidoquinoline‐5‐sulfonate dianion (ferron anion) and three coordinated water molecules, and two uncoordinated water molecules. The UO₂²⁺ ion exhibits a seven‐coordinate pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. The usual sulfonate oxygen coordination is absent but the sulfonate O atoms, along with the coordinated and lattice water molecules, play a vital role in assembling the three‐dimensional structure via an extensive network of intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions.     

Three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded structures in the hydrated proton‐transfer salts of isonipecotamide with the dicarboxylic oxalic and adipic acid homologues

The structures of the 1:1 hydrated proton‐transfer compounds of isonipecotamide (piperidine‐4‐carboxamide) with oxalic acid, 4‐carbamoylpiperidinium hydrogen oxalate dihydrate, C₆H₁₃N₂O⁺·C₂HO₄⁻·2H₂O, (I), and with adipic acid, bis(4‐carbamoylpiperidinium) adipate dihydrate, 2C₆H₁₃N₂O⁺·C₆H₈O₄²⁻·2H₂O, (II), are three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded constructs involving several different types of enlarged water‐bridged cyclic associations. In the structure of (I), the oxalate monoanions give head‐to‐tail carboxylic acid O—H...O_carboxyl hydrogen‐bonding interactions, forming C(5) chain substructures which extend along a. The isonipecotamide cations also give parallel chain substructures through amide N—H...O hydrogen bonds, the chains being linked across b and down c by alternating water bridges involving both carboxyl and amide O‐atom acceptors and amide and piperidinium N—H...O_carboxyl hydrogen bonds, generating cyclic R₄³(10) and R₃²(11) motifs. In the structure of (II), the asymmetric unit comprises a piperidinium cation, half an adipate dianion, which lies across a crystallographic inversion centre, and a solvent water molecule. In the crystal structure, the two inversion‐related cations are interlinked through the two water molecules, which act as acceptors in dual amide N—H...O_water hydrogen bonds, to give a cyclic R₄²(8) association which is conjoined with an R₄⁴(12) motif. Further N—H...O_water, water O—H...O_amide and piperidinium N—H...O_carboxyl hydrogen bonds give the overall three‐dimensional structure. The structures reported here further demonstrate the utility of the isonipecotamide cation as a synthon for the generation of stable hydrogen‐bonded structures. The presence of solvent water molecules in these structures is largely responsible for the non‐occurrence of the common hydrogen‐bonded amide–amide dimer, promoting instead various expanded cyclic hydrogen‐bonding motifs.     

Guest‐Triggered Supramolecular Isomerism in a Pillared‐Layer Structure with Unusual Isomers of Paddle‐Wheel Secondary Building Units by Reversible Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal Transformation

Solvothermal reaction of Zn(NO₃)₂ ? 4 H₂O, 1,4‐bis[2‐(4‐pyridyl)ethenyl]benzene (bpeb) and 4,4′‐oxybisbenzoic acid (H₂obc) in the presence of dimethylacetamide (DMA) as one of the solvents yielded a threefold interpenetrated pillared‐layer porous coordination polymer with pcu topology, [Zn₂(bpeb)(obc)₂] ? 5 H₂O ( 1 ), which comprised an unusual isomer of the well‐known paddle‐wheel building block and the trans–trans–trans isomer of the bpeb pillar ligand. When dimethylformamide (DMF) was used instead of DMA, a supramolecular isomer [Zn₂(bpeb)(obc)₂] ? 2 DMF ? H₂O ( 2 ), with the trans–cis–trans isomer of the bpeb ligand with a slightly different variation of the paddle‐wheel repeating unit, was isolated. In MeOH, single crystals of 2 were transformed by solvent exchange in a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SCSC) manner to yield [Zn₂(bpeb)(obc)₂] ? 2 H₂O ( 3 ), which is a polymorph of 1 . SCSC conversion of 3 to 2 was achieved by soaking 3 in DMF. Compounds 1 and 2 as well as 2 and 3 are supramolecular isomers.     

Hydrogen‐bonding patterns in three substituted N‐benzyl‐N‐(3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐yl)acetamides

The molecules of N‐(3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐yl)‐2‐chloro‐N‐(4‐methoxybenzyl)acetamide, C₂₃H₂₆ClN₃O₂, are linked into a chain of edge‐fused centrosymmetric rings by a combination of one C—H...O hydrogen bond and one C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bond. In N‐(3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐yl)‐2‐chloro‐N‐(4‐chlorobenzyl)acetamide, C₂₂H₂₃Cl₂N₃O, a combination of one C—H...O hydrogen bond and two C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds, which utilize different aryl rings as the acceptors, link the molecules into sheets. The molecules of S‐[N‐(3‐tert‐butyl‐1‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐yl)‐N‐(4‐methylbenzyl)carbamoyl]methyl O‐ethyl carbonodithioate, C₂₆H₃₁N₃O₂S₂, are also linked into sheets, now by a combination of two C—H...O hydrogen bonds, both of which utilize the amide O atom as the acceptor, and two C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds, which utilize different aryl groups as the acceptors.     

Poly[μ‐aqua‐diaqua‐μ4‐malonato‐μ3‐malonato‐barium(II)nickel(II)]

The title complex, [BaNi(C₃H₂O₄)₂(H₂O)₃]_n, is polymeric, with two non‐equivalent malonate dianions bridging one Ni atom and five different Ba atoms. The Ni atoms have a distorted octahedral (NiO₆) environment, and are coordinated by four malonate O atoms in a planar arrangement and two water molecules in axial positions. The Ba atom may be described as a BaO₉ polyhedron in a monocapped square‐antiprismatic environment, which involves two water molecules and seven O atoms from different malonate ligands. The three‐dimensional structure is further maintained and stabilized by hydrogen bonds.     

Hydrate frameworks involving the pyridazino[4,5‐d]pyridazine unit as a multiple hydrogen‐bond acceptor

1,4,5,8‐Tetramethylpyridazino[4,5‐d]pyridazine trihydrate, C₁₀H₁₂N₄·3H₂O, (I), and 1,2,3,6,7,8‐hexahydrocinnolino[5,4,3‐cde]cinnoline tetrahydrate, C₁₂H₁₂N₄·4H₂O, (II), exhibit exceptional functionality of the condensed N₄‐heteroaromatic frame as a symmetric acceptor of four hydrogen bonds [N...O = 2.843 (2)–2.8716 (10) Å]. Thus, all the N atoms of the electron‐deficient and highly π‐acidic polynitrogen heterocycles function as lone‐pair donors. In (I), all the molecular components lie on or across special positions; the site symmetry is 2/m for the organic and m2m and m for the two water molecules. In (II), the organic polycycle lies across a crystallographic inversion center. Both structures involve a hydrogen‐bonded centrosymmetric water–pyridazine dimer as the basic supramolecular unit, which is integrated into two‐dimensional [in (I)] and three‐dimensional [in (II)] hydrate frameworks by hydrogen bonding with the additional water molecules [O...O = 2.744 (2)–2.8827 (19) Å]. The hydrate connectivity exists in the form of an (H₂O)₃ trimer in (I) and as a one‐dimensional zigzag (H₂O)_n chain in (II).     

A new one‐dimensional nickel metal–organic framework: catena‐poly[[[diaquabis(4‐{[(1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)sulfanyl]methyl}benzoato‐κO)nickel(II)]‐μ‐4,4′‐bipyridine‐κ2N:N′] monohydrate]

The title complex, {[Ni(C₁₅H₁₁N₄O₂S)₂(C₁₀H₈N₂)(H₂O)₂]·H₂O}_n, was synthesized by the reaction of nickel chloride, 4‐{[(1‐phenyl‐1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)sulfanyl]methyl}benzoic acid (HL) and 4,4′‐bipyridine (bpy) under hydrothermal conditions. The asymmetric unit contains two half Ni^II ions, each located on an inversion centre, two L⁻ ligands, one bpy ligand, two coordinated water molecules and one unligated water molecule. Each Ni^II centre is six‐coordinated by two monodentate carboxylate O atoms from two different L⁻ ligands, two pyridine N atoms from two different bpy ligands and two terminal water molecules, displaying a nearly ideal octahedral geometry. The Ni^II ions are bridged by 4,4′‐bipyridine ligands to afford a linear array, with an Ni...Ni separation of 11.361 (1) Å, which is further decorated by two monodentate L⁻ ligands trans to each other, resulting in a one‐dimensional fishbone‐like chain structure. These one‐dimensional fishbone‐like chains are further linked by O—H...O, O—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions to form a three‐dimensional supramolecular architecture. The thermal stability of the title complex was investigated via thermogravimetric analysis.     

Solid‐State Luminescence of Au?Cu?Alkynyl Complexes Induced by Metallophilicity‐Driven Aggregation

A new series of homoleptic alkynyl complexes, [{Au₂Cu₂(C₂R)₄}_n] (R=C₃H₇O ( 1 ), C₆H₁₁O ( 2 ), C₉H₁₉O ( 3 ), C₁₃H₁₁O ( 4 )), were obtained from Au(SC₄H₈)Cl, Cu(NCMe)₄PF₆, and the corresponding alkyne in the presence of a base (NEt₃). Complexes 1 – 4 aggregate upon crystallization into polymeric chains through extensive metallophilic interactions. The cluster that contains fluorenolyl functionalities, C₁₃H₉O ( 5 ), crystallizes in its molecular form as a disolvate, [Au₂Cu₂(C₂C₁₃H₉O)₄] ? 2 THF. The substitution of weakly bound THF molecules with pyridine molecules leads to the complex [Au₂Cu₂(C₂C₁₃H₉O)₄] ? 2 py ( 6 ), thus giving two polymorphs in the solid state. Such structural diversity is established through metal‐chain and hydrogen‐bond formation, which depends on the stereochemical characteristics of the organic ligands. More interestingly, this solid‐state structural arrangement affords good emission properties, such as intensity and spectroscopic profile, which are otherwise very weakly emissive in solution. Metallophilic aggregation of the {Au₂Cu₂} cluster units, as observed in the crystals, results in dramatic enhancement of the room‐temperature phosphorescence, thereby reaching a maximum quantum efficiency of 95 % ( 4 ). A theoretical approach further indicates a synergistic effect of the array of the metal chain upon aggregation, which greatly enhances the spin‐orbit coupling and, hence, the phosphorescence, thereby opening up a new direction in the field of aggregate‐enhanced emission.     

Poly[di‐μ‐aqua‐μ‐1,2‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethene‐κ2N:N′‐tetrakis(4‐iodobenzoato‐κ2O,O′)dicadmium]

Colourless crystals of the title compound, [Cd₂(C₇H₄IO₂)₄(C₁₂H₁₀N₂)(H₂O)₂]_n, were obtained by the self‐assembly of Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O, 1,2‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)ethene (bpe) and 4‐iodobenzoic acid (4‐IBA). Each Cd^II atom is seven‐coordinated in a pentagonal–bipyramidal coordination environment by four carboxylate O atoms from two different 4‐IBA ligands, two O atoms from two water molecules and one N atom from a bpe ligand. The Cd^II centres are bridged by the aqua molecules and bpe ligands, which lie across centres of inversion, to give a two‐dimensional net. Topologically, taking the Cd^II atoms as nodes and the μ‐aqua and μ‐bpe ligands as linkers, the two‐dimensional structure can be simplified as a (6,3) network.     

Different molecular conformations co‐exist in each of three 2‐aryl‐N‐(1,5‐dimethyl‐3‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)acetamides: hydrogen bonding in zero,one and two dimensions

4‐Antipyrine [4‐amino‐1,5‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐3(2H)‐one] and its derivatives exhibit a range of biological activities, including analgesic, antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory, and new examples are always of potential interest and value. 2‐(4‐Chlorophenyl)‐N‐(1,5‐dimethyl‐3‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)acetamide, C₁₉H₁₈ClN₃O₂, (I), crystallizes with Z′ = 2 in the space group P, whereas its positional isomer 2‐(2‐chlorophenyl)‐N‐(1,5‐dimethyl‐3‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)acetamide, (II), crystallizes with Z′ = 1 in the space group C2/c; the molecules of (II) are disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.6020 (18) and 0.3980 (18). The two independent molecules of (I) adopt different molecular conformations, as do the two disorder components in (II), where the 2‐chlorophenyl substituents adopt different orientations. The molecules of (I) are linked by a combination of N—H…O and C—H…O hydrogen bonds to form centrosymmetric four‐molecule aggregates, while those of (II) are linked by the same types of hydrogen bonds forming sheets. The related compound N‐(1,5‐dimethyl‐3‐oxo‐2‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)‐2‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)acetamide, C₂₀H₂₁N₃O₃, (III), is isomorphous with (I) but not strictly isostructural; again the two independent molecules adopt different molecular conformations, and the molecules are linked by N—H…O and C—H…O hydrogen bonds to form ribbons. Comparisons are made with some related structures, indicating that a hydrogen‐bonded R₂²(10) ring is the common structural motif.