Assembly of tris(2-aminoethyl)amines and its unusual conversion by silver(I) ions

The reaction of AgNO3 with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren) affords an unusual achiral grid with desirable chiral channels [Ag(tren)]NO3 (1), and a species of single-stranded helical polymer, [Ag(baep)]NO3radical dotMeOH (2), baep=1,4-bis(2-aminoethyl)-piperazine, which indicates that the polyamine ligand tren is converted during the process of the reaction.