Construction of two interpenetrating coordination networks based on 4,4′-bis(1H-imidazol-1-yl-methyl)biphenyl and effect of carboxylic acids

To investigate the construction of interpenetrating coordination networks and the effect of ligands, [Zn(bimb)(bdc)]·H2O (1) and [Zn(bimb)(Hbtc)]·H2O (2) [bimb = 4,4′-bis(1H-imidazol-1-yl-methyl)biphenyl; H2bdc = 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid; H3btc = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid] were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, Powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Complex 1 shows a 3-D uoc type topology with twofold interpenetration. However, 2 exhibits a different 2-D self-penetrating network owing to hydrogen bonds of Hbtc between the two interpenetrating sql sheets, indicating that different carboxylic ligands could affect the interpenetration structures. Photoluminescence of bimb and the two complexes are also studied.