The role played by different anions (XF 6 2 (X 5 P, As, Sb), BF 4 2 ) on the connectivity of coordination networks formed by a combination of different silver salts and an organic tecton based on piperazine bearing two pyridine units has been studied in the crystalline phase by X-ray diffraction on single crystal. All four weakly coordinating anions lead to the formation of analogous 2-D coordination networks. For the isostructural anions XF 6 2 (X 5 P, As, Sb) the crystals are isomorphous.

The combination of flexible neutral organic tectons based on two pyridines interconnected by a thioether or thioester type spacer with an inorganic ZnSiF(6) pillar leads to the formation of 2-D coordination networks and the packing of the latter generates crystals offering controllable tubular channels with imposed orientation along the pillar axis.