2d -> 3d polycatenated and 3d -> 3d interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks constructed from thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate and rigid bis(imidazole) ligands

Abstract

Hydrothermal reactions of rigid 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)benzene (dib) and 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)-2, 5-dimethylbenzene (dimb) with deprotonated thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (H(2)tdc) in the presence of Zn(II) and Cd(II) salts in H2O produced three new metal-organic frameworks, namely, [Zn(mu-tdc)(H2O) (mu-dib)](n) (1), [Cd(mu-tdc)(H2O)(mu-dib)(n) (2), and {[Cd-2(mu(3)-tdc)(2)(mu-dimb)(2)] center dot (H2O)}(n) (3). These MOFs were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental, thermal (TG, DTA, DTG and DSC), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Isomorphous complexes 1 and 2 reveal polycatenated 2D+2D -> 3D framework based on an undulated (4,4)-sql layer. Complex 3 exhibits a new 4-fold interpenetrating 3D framework with the point symbol of 6(6). Molecular simulations were used to assess the potentials of the complexes for H-2 storage application. Moreover, these coordination polymers exhibit blue fluorescent emission bands in the solid state at room temperature.