Structural diversity,magnetic properties and luminescence of NiII,CoII and ZnII coordination polymers derived from 3,3′‐[(5‐carboxy‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoic acid and 1,10‐phenanthroline

Three novel coordination polymers (CPs), namely polydi‐μ‐aqua‐bis{μ₄‐3,3′‐(5‐carboxylato‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoato‐κ⁵O¹:O^1′,O³:O⁵:O^5′}bis(1,10‐phenanthroline‐κ²N,N′)trinickel(II)] dimethylformamide 1.5‐solvate trihydrate], {Ni₃(C₂₁H₁₁O₈)₂(C₁₂H₈N₂)₂(H₂O)₂]·1.5C₃H₇NO·3H₂O}_n, (I), polydi‐μ‐aqua‐bis{μ₄‐3,3′‐(5‐carboxylato‐1,3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoato‐κ⁵O¹:O^1′,O³:O⁵:O^5′}bis(1,10‐phenanthroline‐κ²N,N′)tricobalt(II)] diethylamine disolvate tetrahydrate], {Co₃(C₂₁H₁₁O₈)₂(C₁₂H₈N₂)₂(H₂O)₂]·2C₂H₇N·4H₂O}_n, (II), and catena‐polyaqua(1,10‐phenanthroline‐κ²N,N′)zinc(II)]‐μ‐5‐(3‐carboxyphenoxy)‐3,3′‐oxydibenzoato‐κ²O¹:O³], Zn(C₂₁H₁₂O₈)(C₁₂H₈N₂)(H₂O)]_n, (III), have been synthesized by the reaction of different metal ions (Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺), 3,3′‐(5‐carboxy‐1,3‐phenylbis(oxy)]dibenzoic acid (H₃cpboda) and 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) under solvothermal conditions. All the CPs were characterized by elemental analysis, single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction, FT–IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Complexes (I) and (II) have isomorphous structures, featuring similar linear trinuclear structural units, in which the central Ni^II/Co^II atom is located on an inversion centre with a slightly distorted octahedral NiO₆]/CoO₆] geometry. This comprises four carboxylate O‐atom donors from two cpboda^3? ligands and two O‐atom donors from bridging water molecules. The terminal Ni^II/Co^II groups are each connected to the central Ni^II/Co^II cation through two μ_1,3‐carboxylate groups from two cpboda^3? ligands and one water bridge, giving rise to linear trinuclear M₃(μ₂‐H₂O)₂(RCOO)₄] (M = Ni²⁺/Co²⁺) secondary building units (SBUs) and the SBUs develop two‐dimensional‐networks parallel to the (100) plane via cpboda^3? ligands with new (3²·4)₂(3²·8³·9)₂(3⁴·4².8²·9⁴·10³) topological structures. Zinc complex (III) displays one‐dimensional coordination chains and the five‐coordinated Zn atom forms a distorted square‐pyramidal ZnO₃N₂] geometry, which is completed by two carboxylate O‐atom donors from two distinct Hcpboda^2? ligands, one O atom from H₂O and two N atoms from a chelating phen ligand. Magnetically, CP (I) shows weak ferromagnetic interactions involving the carboxylate groups, and bridging water molecules between the nickel(II) ions, and CP (II) shows antiferromagnetic interactions between the Co²⁺ ions. The solid‐state luminescence properties of CP (III) were examined at ambient temperature and the luminescence sensing of Cr₂O₇^2?/CrO₄^2? anions in aqueous solution for (III) has also been investigated.