Molecular tectonics: generation and packing of 1-D coordination networks formed between dibromofluorene based tectons bearing two pyridines and metal halides

Abstract

The combination of bis-monodentate tectons 4 and 5, based on the dibromo fluorene backbone and bearing two pyridine units connected at positions 3 and 4, respectively, with metal halides acting as metallatectons by offering two free coordination sites leads to the formation of 1-D coordination networks in the crystalline phase as evidenced by X-ray diffraction studies on single crystal. Whereas in the case of tecton 4 and MX₂ complexes (CoCl₂, ZnBr₂, CdBr₂ and HgCl₂) the zigzag type 1-D networks are packed in the classical parallel mode, for the combination of tecton 5 with HgX₂ (X = Cl, Br, I) the almost orthogonal packing of the 1-D networks leads to the formation of braided sheets.