Hydrothermal synthesis of copper complexes of 4′-pyridyl terpyridine: From discrete monomer to zigzag chain polymer

Seven copper complexes [Cu(L1)I2] (1), [Cu2(L1)2I2]2[Cu2(μ-I)2I2] (2), [Cu(L2)I2] (3), [Cu2(L2)(μ-I)I(PPh3)] (4), [Cu4(L2)2(μ-I)2I2] (5), {[Cu(L2)I]2[Cu2(μ-I)2I2]}n (6) and [Cu2(L2)(μ-I)2]n (7) have been prepared by reactions of ligands: 4′-(2-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (L1) and 4′-(3-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (L2) with CuI in hydrothermal conditions, respectively. By alternating the oxidations states of the metal centers, increasing stoichiometric metal/ligand ratio and introducing a second ligand, the compounds, were successfully developed from mononuclear (1 and 3) to multinuclear (2, 4 and 5) and polymers (6 and 7). The synthesis of these compounds may provide an approach for the construction of coordination compounds of 4′-pyridyl terpyridine with different nuclearity.