Helical metallopolymers from the coordination of new bis(pyridyl)terephthalate ligands with silver(I)

Two new bis(pyridyl)terephthalate ligands were synthesized in good yields from the reaction of either 2-pyridylcarbinol or 2-pyridinepropanol with terephthaloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine. Mixing these ligands with silver(I) salts resulted in the formation of crystalline helical polymeric complexes. In the complexation involving silver triflate, two separate structures were obtained, one of which contained water in the asymmetric unit.