Does the Central Nitrogen Atom Make a Difference? A Comparison of Non‐Coordinating Pyridine and Benzene Spacers in Multitopic Ligands

Abstract

In metal coordination compounds of the divergent ligands 4,2':6',4"‐terpyridine and 3,2':6',3"‐terpyridine and their 4'‐functionalized derivatives, the central pyridine ring of the 4,2':6',4"‐terpyridine and 3,2':6',3"‐terpyridine domains is non‐coordinated. We present an overview of data from the Cambridge Structural Database to assess whether there are structural similarities between the coordination compounds of 4,2':6',4"‐tpy and 1,3‐di(pyridin‐4‐yl)benzene, and between 3,2':6',3"‐tpy and 1,3‐di(pyridin‐3‐yl)benzene. Based upon structurally characterized compounds, it emerges that the coordination chemistry of ligands including one or more 4,2':6',4"‐terpyridine or 3,2':6',3"‐terpyridine metal‐binding domains dominate over those of corresponding ligands based upon 1,3‐di(pyridin‐4‐yl)benzene and 1,3‐di(pyridin‐3‐yl)benzene. We provide an overview of metallamacrocycles and cages, 1D‐coordination polymers and 2D‐ and 3D‐networks