Two transition metal coordination polymers of the 7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane dianion (TCNQ2−)

Each of the two novel title transition metal coordination polymers, namely catena‐poly[[bis{[tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine]cobalt(II)}‐μ₄‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethanide(2−)] bis[7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethanide(1−)] methanol disolvate], {[Co₂(C₁₂H₄N₄)(C₁₈H₁₈N₄)₂](C₁₂H₄N₄)₂·2CH₃OH}_n, (I), and catena‐poly[[[[tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine]iron(II)]‐μ₂‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethanide(2−)] methanol solvate], {[Fe(C₁₂H₄N₄)(C₁₈H₁₈N₄)]·CH₃OH}_n, (II), contains η⁴‐TPA and cis‐bridging TCNQ²⁻ ligands [TPA is tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine and TCNQ is 7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane], but the two compounds adopt entirely different structural motifs. Compound (I) consists of a ribbon coordination polymer featuring μ₄‐TCNQ²⁻ radical anion ligands bridging four different octahedral Co^II centers. Each formula unit of the polymer is flanked by two uncoordinated TCNQ⁻ anions and two methanol solvent molecules. All three TCNQ anions have crystallographic inversion symmetry. In (II), the 2₁ symmetry operator generates a one‐dimensional zigzag chain of octahedral Fe^II centers with μ₂‐TCNQ²⁻ bridges. A methanol solvent molecule forms hydrogen bonds to one of the terminal N atoms of the bridging TCNQ²⁻ dianion. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first examples of one‐dimensional coordination polymers forming from cis coordination of two TCNQ ligands to octahedral metal centers.