Engineering coordination assemblies of dinuclear CuII complexes

Hybrid organic-inorganic coordination assemblies are synthesized using modified aminocarboxylic acid ligands as the structure-directing agents. The synthetic approach results in two novel dinuclear copper(II) complexes, K2CuII(hnida)]2.2H2O (1) and K4CuII(chnida)]2.4H2O.4MeOH (2) that assemble in the presence of suitable counterions into a densely packed hexagonal array or an open-framework structure. The functionality of the aminocarboxylic acid ligands provides a tool to control the supramolecular structure. The materials combine promising thermal stabilities with the necessary flexibility to withstand structural changes induced by calcinations or the uptake and release of guest molecules. The structural and physicochemical properties of the complexes were investigated using X-ray diffraction, magnetic measurements, thermogravimetric analysis and spectroscopy.