Cadmium(II) thio‐ and selenocyanate complexes of 3,3′‐bis(1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)‐1,1′‐biadamantane,a ligand designed with an `extended nanodiamond' aliphatic platform

In the structures of the Cd^II pseudohalide coordination polymer poly[[diaquabis[μ₂‐3,3′‐bis(1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)‐1,1′‐biadamantane‐κ²N¹:N^1′]cadmium(II)] dithiocyanate dihydrate], {[Cd(C₂₄H₃₂N₆)₂(H₂O)₂](NCS)₂·2H₂O}_n, (I), and the isomorphous selenocyanate analogue, {[Cd(C₂₄H₃₂N₆)₂(H₂O)₂](NCSe)₂·2H₂O}_n, (II), the Cd^II cations occupy inversion centres and have octahedral CdN₄O₂ environments, completed by four N atoms of the organic ligands [Cd—N = 2.316 (2) and 2.361 (2) Å for (I), and 2.313 (3) and 2.372 (3) Å for (II)] and two trans‐coordinated aqua ligands [Cd—O = 2.3189 (15) Å for (I) and 2.323 (2) Å for (II)]. In each compound, the ligand displays a bidentate N¹:N^1′‐bridging mode, connecting the metal centres at a distance of 14.66 Å into two‐dimensional nets of (4,4)‐topology, while the uncoordinated thio(seleno)cyanate anions reside inside the net cavities. Hydrogen bonding between the water molecules, anions and 1,2,4‐triazole N atoms supports the tight packing, with an interlayer distance of 6.09 Å.