A new trinuclear cobalt(II) complex: decaaqua-1κ3O,2κ4O,3κ3O-bis(benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato)-1κO,3κO-di-μ-4,4′-bipyridine-1:2κ2N:N′;2:3κ2N:N′-di-4,4′-bipyridine-1κN,3κN-tricobalt(II) 4,4′-bipyridine solvate octahydrate

Abstract

The principal building units in the title compound, [Co3(C9H3O6)2(C10H8N2)4(H2O)10].C10H8N2.8H2O, are the linear centrosymmetric tricobalt(II) complex molecules resulting from two square-pyramidal [Co(btc)(bpy)(H2O)3]- entities (bpy is 4,4'-bipyridine and btc is the benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate trianion) bridged by one trans-[Co(bpy)2(H2O)4]2+ unit. The trinuclear complex molecules are assembled into infinite chains through intermolecular O-H...N hydrogen bonds and pi-pi stacking interactions between adjacent monodentate bpy ligands. The chains and uncoordinated bpy molecules are further assembled into two-dimensional open layers, which are stacked in a staggered manner to give a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture with the solvent water molecules in the cavities.