Molecular tectonics: ribbon type coordination networks based on porphyrins bearing two pyridine or two pyridine N-oxide units

Abstract

Upon combining porphyrin based tectons bearing at the 5,10 meso positions either two pyridine or two pyridine N-oxide groups, with Cd2+ or Cu2+, four ribbon-type 1-D networks were obtained and structurally characterised in the crystalline phase by X-ray diffraction methods. Although, based on tecton’s structural features, the formation of ribbon-type architectures could be anticipated, their deformation, resulting from the geometry of the connecting metal centres as well as the packing forces in the solid state, could not be predicted.