Lanthanide N,N′-piperazine-bis(methylenephosphonates) (Ln=La, Ce, Nd) that display flexible frameworks, reversible hydration and cation exchange

Hydrothermal syntheses of lanthanide bisphosphonate metal organic frameworks comprising the light lanthanides lanthanum, cerium and neodymium and N,N′-piperazine bis(methylenephosphonic acid) (H₂L(1) and its 2-methyl and 2,5-dimethyl derivatives (H₂L(2) and H₂L(3)) gives three new structure types. At elevated starting pH (ca. 5 and above) syntheses give ‘type I’ materials with all metals and acids of the study (MLnLxH₂O, M=Na, K, Cs; Ln=La, Ce, Nd; x≈4: KCeL(1)·4H₂O, C2/c, a=23.5864(2) Å, b=12.1186(2) Å, c=5.6613(2) Å, β=93.040(2)°). The framework of structure type I shows considerable flexibility as the ligand is changed, due mainly to rotation around the -N-CH₂- bond of the linker in response to steric considerations. Type I materials demonstrate cation exchange and dehydration and rehydration behaviour. Upon dehydration of KCeL·4H₂O, the space group changes to P2₁/n, a=21.8361(12) Å, b=9.3519(4) Å, c=5.5629(3) Å, β=96.560(4)°, as a result of a change of the piperazine ring from chair to boat configuration. When syntheses are performed at lower pH, two other structure types crystallise. With the ‘non-methyl’ ligand 1, type II materials result (LnL(1)H₂L(1)·4.5H₂O: Ln=La, P−1, a=5.7630(13) Å, b=10.213(2) Å, c=11.649(2) Å, α=84.242(2)°, β=89.051(2)°, γ=82.876(2)°) in which one half of the ligands coordinate via the piperazine nitrogen atoms. With the 2-methyl ligand, structure type III crystallises (LnHL(2)·4H₂O: Ln=Nd, Ce, P2₁/c, a=5.7540(9) Å, b=14.1259(18) Å, c=21.156(5) Å, β=90.14(2)°) due to unfavourable steric interactions of the methyl group in structure type II.