Structural and functional studies on ternary coordination polymers from 5-bromoisophthalate and imidazole based flexible linker

Three ternary coordination polymers (CPs), namely, {[Cd2(BrIP)2(BITMB)(H2O)2]·(THF)2·H2O}n (CP1), [Cu(BrIP)(BITMB)(H2O)]n (CP2), {[Ni(BrIP)(BITMB)(H2O)]·(THF)(H2O)2}n (CP3) were synthesized by solvothermal reactions between H2BrIP (5-bromoisophthalate), BITMB (1,3-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene) and respective metal nitrates. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal a variety of supramolecular interactions such as inter/intra molecular hydrogen bonding, C–H⋯π, and π⋯π stacking in the 1D interwoven metal organic triple helical motifs of CP1 and sql networks of CP2 and CP3. Solvents employed for the synthesis of these CPs may be acting as structure directing agents. The photocatalytic properties of all three CPs, for the decomposition of Metanil Yellow by dilute hydrogen peroxide in the presence of visible light, have been evaluated and up to 89% dye removal from aqueous solution was achieved in the case of CP2. Solid state fluorescence studies disclose the promising luminescence properties of synthesized CPs.