Ring templated nanochannel architecture of imidazolium phosphonoacetate

Abstract

The supramolecular architecture of imidazolium phosphonoacetate is shown to consist of anionic monolayers that are parallel stacked in the third direction in order to form channels in which the cations are organized. The two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network, formed via two O–H⋯O interactions, is characterized by large, nano-size cavities that are surrounded by six phosphonoacetate residues. The imidazolium residues fit in the cavities and connect the monolayers via two N–H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Weak C–H⋯O interactions additionally stabilize the channel architecture, locking the imidazolium rings. The rings are intercalated in the channels at a unit cell distance and no stacking or other aromatic interactions exist between them.