Source of materialThe title compound was prepared under the hydrothermal conditions. A mixture of 4-bromoisophthalate (4-Br-H 2 ip, 0.1 mmol), 1,1'-(1,3-propanediyl)bis(benzimidazole) (pbbm, 0.1 mmol) and Co(OAc) 2 ×4H 2 O (0.1 mmol) in distilled water (15 mL) was stirred for 30 min, and the pH value of the solution was adjusted to about 4 with 1 M KOH. After stirring for another 30 min, the mixture was transferred to a 25 mL Teflon-lined stainless steel vessel and heated at 120°C for 3 days. Then the reaction system was cooled to room temperature over 24 h, and red block crystals were obtained.
DiscussionThe design and synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted considerable attention because of their potential applications as functional materials as well as their structural diversity and intriguing variety of topologies [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. It is well known that carboxylate ligands play an important role in coordination chemistry, which may adopt diverse binding modes such as monodentate, chelating, and bridging in the syn-syn, syn-anti, and anti-anti configurations [8][9]. On the other hand, the flexible bis(N-containing heterocyclic ring) ligands containing 1-or 2-substituted tetrazole, 1-substituted imidazole, benzimidazole, benzotriazole or 1,2,3-triazole, and 1-or 4-substituted 1,2,4-triazole rings tethered by an alkyl spacer have been extensively used [10][11]. In this paper, we select 4-bromoisophthalate (4-Br-H 2 ip) and 1,1'-(1,3-propanediyl)bis(benzimidazole) (pbbm) to react with Co(II) ions to obtain a new MOF. The asymmetric unit of the title structure consists of a Co(II) ion, a 4-Br-ip ligand, and a pbbm ligand (figure, top). The Co(II) ion adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry, coordinating to two carboxylic O atoms from two 4-Br-ip ligands (Co1-O1 = 1.929(3) Å and Co1-O3A = 1.950(3) Å) and two N atoms from two pbbm ligands (Co1-N1 = 2.014(3) Å and Co1-N4A = 2.034(3) Å). The title complex displays an interesting infinite 1D looped chains structure composed of two kinds of rings, the 16-membered ring and the 20-membered ring (figure, bottom). The 16-membered ring is formed by two 4-Br-ip ligands bridging two Co(II) ions and the Co(II)×××Co(II) distance is 6.903 Å. The 20-membered ring is made up of two pbbm ligands bridging two Co(II) ions and the Co(II)×××Co(II) distance is 10.206 Å. The two rings are connected alternately via Co(II) ions forming an infinite 1-D chain. Moreover, the adjacent looped chains are linked through hydrogen bonds by weak intermolecular C-H×××O hydrogen bonds to generate a three-dimensional network. The bond lengths and angles of these weak hydrogen bonding parametres are in the range of 3.278(6) -3.345(6) Å and 142-174°, respectively. The pbbm ligand adopts a bidentate-bridging conformation mode with the dihedral angle between the two benzimidazole rings of 62.94°.