A mixed‐valence copper coordination polymer generated by a hydrothermal metal/ligand redox reaction process

The title coordination polymer, poly(μ₄‐2‐oxidoisophthalato‐κ⁶O¹,O²:O²,O³:O^3′:O^3′)(μ₂‐quinoxaline‐κ²N:N′)copper(I)copper(II)], Cu₂(C₈H₃O₅)(C₈H₆N₂)]_n, contains two crystallographically distinct Cu ions, one quinoxaline (QA) unit and one 2‐oxidoisophthalate trianion (L) derived from 2‐hydroxyisophthalic acid (H₃L). The Cu^II ion is strongly coordinated by four O atoms in a distorted square geometry, of which two belong to two phenoxide groups and the other two to carboxylate groups of two L ligands. In addition, the Cu^II cation interacts weakly with a symmetry‐related carboxylate O atom which belongs to the L ligand in an adjacent layer, giving a square‐pyramidal coordination geometry. The Cu^I ion is trigonally coordinated by two N atoms from two QA molecules and one O atom from an L carboxylate group. The Cu^I centres are bridged by QA ligands to give a chain along the c axis. Two Cu^II ions and two L ligands form a Cu₂L₂]^2? `metallo‐ligand', which coordinates two Cu^I ions. Thus, the chains of Cu^I and QA are linked by the Cu₂L₂]^2? metallo‐ligand to yield a two‐dimensional (6,3) sheet. These sheets are further linked by symmetry‐related carboxylate O atoms of neighbouring layers into a three‐dimensional framework. The in situ reaction from benzene‐1,2,3‐tricarboxylic acid (H₃L1) to L in the present system has rarely been observed before, although a few novel in situ reactions, such as ligand oxidative coupling, hydrolysis and substitution, have been observed during the hydrothermal process.