Novel L4(6)6(6) water layers trapped in an organic host framework 3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-1-phenylpropan-1-one

Using a flexible imidazole derivate ligand 3-(1H-Imidazol-1-yl)-1-phenylpropan-1-one (L), novel 2D (two-dimensional) L4(6)6(6) water layers can be observed, which consist of fused cyclic water tetramers and hexamers. These 2D water layers are also trapped in supramolecular architecture L·3H2O (1). It is interesting that the C–H···π interactions obviously play an important role in stabilizing the packing structure, which also reveal the cooperative interactions between these supramolecular contacts in the construction of 2D water layers.