| Abstract: | The structures of the Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba salts of 1‐naphthoic acid are examined and compared with analogous structures of salts of benzoate derivatives. It is shown that catena‐polydiaquabis(1‐naphthoato‐κO)magnesium(II)]‐μ‐aqua] dihydrate], {Mg(C11H7O2)2(H2O)3]·2H2O}n, exists as a one‐dimensional coordination polymer that propagates only through Mg—OH2—Mg interactions along the crystallographic b direction. In contrast with related benzoate salts, the naphthalene systems are large enough to prevent inorganic chain‐to‐chain interactions, and thus species with inorganic channels rather than layers are formed. The Ca, Sr and Ba salts all have metal centres that lie on a twofold axis (Z′ = ) and all have the common name catena‐polydiaquametal(II)]‐bis(μ‐1‐naphthoato)‐κ3O,O′:O;κ3O:O,O′], M(C11H7O2)2(H2O)2]n, where M = Ca, Sr or Ba. The Ca and Sr salts are essentially isostructural, and all three species form one‐dimensional coordination polymers through a carboxylate group that forms three M—O bonds. The polymeric chains propagate via c‐glide planes and through MOMO four‐membered rings. Again, inorganic channel structures are formed rather than layered structures, and the three structures are similar to those found for Ca and Sr salicylates and other substituted benzoates. |
