Poly[tetrachlorido{μ4-tetrakis[(imidazol-1-yl)methyl]methane-κ4N3:N3′:N3′′:N3′′′}dizinc(II)] exhibiting a three-dimensional diamond topology

Abstract

The title novel noncentrosymmetric metal-organic framework, [Zn2Cl4(C17H20N8)]n, was prepared solvothermally using the tetradentate tetrakis[(imidazol-1-yl)methyl]methane (tiym) linker in the presence of zinc nitrate under acidic conditions. The asymmetric unit contains one Zn(II) cation, two Cl(-) anions and a quarter of each of two symmetry-independent tiym ligands. Each Zn(II) cation is four-coordinated by two Cl(-) anions and two imidazole N atoms from two tiym ligands, forming a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. The tetrahedral tetradentate tiym linker has a quaternary C atom located on a crystallographic -4 axis. With its four peripheral imidazole N atoms, the linkers are bridged by four [ZnCl2] subunits to generate a three-dimensional diamond topological framework, which is represented by the Schläfli symbol {6(6)}. To the best of our knowledge, the title compound is the first example of a non-interpenetrating diamond net based on the tiym ligand.