The role of 4,4′-trimethylene-dipyridine flexibility in the construction of hybrid networks templated on aromatic alcohols

A series of zinc phosphite hybrid structures with trimethylene dipyridine as the linking ligand and templated on the aromatic alcohols, hydroquinone, 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene, nitrophenol, and bromophenol are reported. The aromatic alcohols interact with the framework by hydrogen bonding to oxygen atoms that bridge zinc and phosphorus atoms in the inorganic portion of the network. In addition, three hydrogen-bonded networks that contain trimethylene-dipyridine and either hydroquinone or 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene are reported. In these structures, the aromatic alcohol acts as a hydrogen bond donor to trimethylene-dipyridine. The flexibility of trimethylene-dipyridine is important to the construction of the new frameworks. Calculations using PM5 parameters demonstrate that trimethylene-dipyridine can adopt a wide variety of conformations with a minimal energy expense.