Consequences of twisting of the flexible arms of imidazole-derived urea in zinc-dicarboxylate coordination polymers

Abstract

A semi-flexible imidazole-based urea ligand, 1-(3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propyl)-3-phenylurea, and three zinc-dicarboxylate coordination polymers possessing the ligand were synthesized and characterized. The stoichiometry and coordination number of the zinc(II) ions in the coordination polymers were found to be dependent on the positional isomers of the benzene dicarboxylate. The 1,3-benzenedicarboxylate-based coordination polymer has a one-dimensional structure, whereas, the one possessing 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate has a two-dimensional architecture. The solvent used in the synthesis of the zinc-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate coordination polymer with the ligand played a decisive role on the solvation and conformation of the ligand. The anhydrous form was obtained from a reaction in methanol in which one of the urea moieties has a puckered geometry and the assembly has layers from one-dimensional bunches of coordination chains. However, the same reaction in ethanol provided a solvate having water and ethanol as the solvents of crystallization and it has the two ligands with a stretched geometry forming a cleft-like geometry to include the ethanol molecules. The two forms were not inter-convertible. The coordination polymer with 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate has a 2-dimensional structure with 2 × 2 grids having self-included urea that held DMF molecules by hydrogen bonds.