Coordination Polymers of Silver(I) with the Flexible Tritopic Ligand 1,3,5-Tri(4-cyanophenoxy)benzene: Guest Inclusion and Luminescent Properties

Abstract

A new flexible tritopic ligand, 1,3,5-tri(4-cyanophenoxy)benzene (1), was synthesised by the reaction of phloroglucinol and para-fluorobenzonitrile. Compound 1 crystallises in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pna21. The reaction of ligand 1 with AgBF4 in the presence of different aromatic guest molecules was found to result in coordination polymers, namely, {[Ag3(1)2(BF4)3(H2O)2]·2C7H8·2CH2Cl2}n (2), {[Ag3(1)2(BF4)3(H2O)2]·2C6H6·2CH2Cl2}n (3). The crystal structures of 2 and 3 reveal that ligand 1 is linked by AgI ions into three-dimensional networks containing channels that are occupied by dichloromethane and aromatic guest molecules. The luminescent properties of crystalline 1 and 3 differ significantly.