Structure characterization of several oxalate-bridged transition-metal coordination polymers

Four oxalate-bridged transition-metal supramolecular compounds Co₂(im)₄(ox)₂] 1, Co(im)₂(ox)] 2, Mn(2,2′-bpy)(ox)] 3 and Fe(H₂O)₂(ox)] 4 (im, imidazole; ox, oxalate; bpy, bipyridine) were obtained from the simple hydrothermal reactions of Mⁿ⁺oxL (M, transition metal; L, aromatic N-donor ligand) system. They all exhibit the 1-D chain structures, consisting of the (or ML²⁺) units linked by oxalate bridges. Interestingly, the 1-D oxalate chains in the title compounds are further self-assembled into the 3-D supramolecular networks through the interchain various secondary bonding interactions. Because the units adopt the different configuration, the oxalate chains show either zigzag type as in compounds 1–3 or linear type as in compound 4. Compounds 1 and 2 are isomeric, and only in packing modes of interchain im molecules there exists the difference.