Synthesis,crystal structures,luminescence and catalytic properties of three silver(I) coordination polymers with bis(imidazole) and benzenedicarboxylic acid ligands

Three new silver coordination compounds with empirical formula Ag₂(L1)₂·(ntp)·(H₂O)_3.25]_n (1), Ag_1.5(L1)_1.5·(H_0.5bdc)·(H₂O)₄]_n (2) and Ag(L2)(Hmip)]_n (3) (L1 = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene, L2 = 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole, H₂ntp = 2-nitroterephthalic acid, H₂bdc = 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, H₂mip = 5-methylisophthalic acid) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and physico-chemical spectroscopic methods. The silver centers display different environments with a linear geometry in 1 and 2 and distorted T-shaped geometry in 3. In 1–3, the bidentate N-donor ligands (L1 and L2) bridge neighboring silver centers to form 1D infinite chain structures. Complexes 2 and 3 are extended into 2D layers, and 1 is packed into a 3D 3,4,4,6-connected supermolecular network via classical O–H···O hydrogen bonds, while 3 is further extended into 3D framework through π–π interactions. The luminescence properties of complexes 1, 2 and 3 were investigated in the solid state. These coordination polymers possess a remarkable activity for degradation of methyl orange by persulfate in a Fenton-like process.