Destruction of the robust [Cu2(COO)4] paddle-wheel unit via two different single-crystal to single-crystal transformations

Abstract

A 2D Cu(II) coordination polymer (CP), [Cu(l-NO2)2](H2O) (1, l-NO25-nitronicotinate), was synthesized under hydrothermal condition. By introducing different external stimuli (H2O and NaN3), the robust [Cu2(COO)4] paddle-wheel unit in 1 can be destroyed, affording a 2D layer Cu(l-NO2)2(H2O)2 (2) and a 3D network Cu(l-NO2)(N3) (3), respectively. The two different mechanisms have been demonstrated via single-crystal to single-crystal transformation.