Syntheses, structures, photoluminescence, and magnetic properties of phenanthrene-based carboxylic acid coordination polymers

Four new coordination complexes, M2(Htmopa)4(H2O)4 (M = Zn2+ (1), Mn2+ (2), (M(Htmopa)2(H2O)2)n (M = Ni2+ (3), Co2+ (4)), have been synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of Htmopa (Htmopa = 2,3,6,7-tetramethoxyphenanthrene-9-carboxylic acid) with different transition metals at a suitable temperature. Single-crystal determinations revealed that 1 and 2 are isostructural and possess a dinuclear subunit, each connected into 3D networks by hydrogen bonds and C-H...pi interactions. 3 and 4 are also isostructural: the metal ions are bridged through water molecules and carboxylate oxygen atoms to form 1D wavelike double chains, and these double chains are further extended to a 3D network via hydrogen bonds and C-H...pi interactions. The photoluminescent properties of the free Htmopa ligand and its complexes have been studied in the solid state at room temperature. Both Htmopa and 1 exhibit strong blue emissions. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that 2 and 3 exhibit antiferromagnetic coupling, whereas 4 shows a ferromagnetic coupling and exhibits a single-ion behavior of the Co II ion at a higher temperature range.