A cadmium(II) coordination polymer with both polyrotaxane and polycatenane features constructed by a V‐shaped semi‐rigid ligand: synthesis and fluorescence properties

One of the most interesting phenomena in coordination polymers (CPs) is the co‐existence of different interlaced motifs. However, CPs having two different interlaced motifs at the same time are still rare. Colourless block‐shaped crystals of the two‐dimensional polymer poly[[aqua(μ₂‐naphthalene‐2,6‐dicarboxylato){μ₂‐4,4′‐[oxybis(4,1‐phenylene)]dipyridine}cadmium(II)] monohydrate], {[Cd(C₁₂H₆O₄)(C₂₂H₁₆N₂O)(H₂O)]·H₂O}_n , (I), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions by the self‐assembly of 4,4′‐[oxybis(4,1‐phenylene)]dipyridine (OPY) with Cd^II in the presence of naphthalene‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid (H₂ndc). Each Cd^II ion is six‐coordinated by two N atoms from the pyridine rings of two OPY ligands and by four O atoms, three of which are from two ndc²⁻ ligands and one of which is from a water molecule. In (I), every two identical two‐dimensional (2D) 6³ layers are interpenetrated in a parallel fashion, resulting in an interesting 2D→2D framework with both polyrotaxane and polycatenane characteristics. The extension of these sheets into a three‐dimensional supramolecular net is via O—H…O hydrogen bonds. The solid‐state photoluminescence properties of (I) are also discussed.