Using the Cu(II)-tpbn system, three
new compounds[Cu4(tpbn)2(glutarate)2(H2O)4](ClO4)4·xH2O (when x = 2, 1; x = 4, 1a), {[Cu2(tpbn)(diglyconate)(H2O)2](ClO4)2·solvent}
n
(when no solvent, 2; solvent
= CH3OH/CH3CN, 2a), and
[Cu4(tpbn)2(2,2′-thiodiacetate)2(H2O)4](ClO4)4·xH2O (when x = 0, 3; x = 4, 3a), where tpbn = N,N′,N″,N‴-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,4-diaminobutanehave
been synthesized from a one-pot self-assembly reaction in a methanol–water
mixture under ambient conditions. Their formation is dependent on
the spacer atom in the dicarboxylate linker: molecular rectangles
(1/1a and 3/3a) are obtained with spacer atoms CH2 and S, whereas a
helical one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer (2/2a) is obtained with O as the spacer atom in the linker. These
are the first molecular rectangles containing the dicarboxylates used
in this study. In addition to their characterization by elemental
analysis and UV–vis and IR spectroscopy, their solid-state
molecular structures are determined by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry.
Using electrospray mass spectrometry, their structural integrity in
the solution state is confirmed. Water vapor adsorption study of 1–3 corroborates well with their solid-state
structures in terms of their affinity toward water: 3 shows a stepwise adsorption with a maximum water vapor intake of
16 water molecules per molecule of 3, having a small
hysteresis loop, while 1 shows a continuous adsorption
with a maximum water vapor intake of 10.5 water molecules per molecule
of 1, having a larger hysteresis loop, and 2 has the least affinity. Similarly, adsorption of CO2 is
3 times more by 1 than 3 at 296 K, and both
show selectivity for CO2 over N2. Comparison
of their magnetic behavior based on variable-temperature magnetic
susceptibility measurements (2–300 K) indicates weak antiferromagnetic
interactions between the Cu(II) centers in 1 and 3 and a weak ferromagnetic interaction between the Cu(II)
centers in 2. This is well correlated to the Cu···Cu
distances in these compounds. Each compound showed a characteristic
broad isotropic electron paramagnetic resonance signal for distorted
square-pyramidal Cu(II) ions at 77 K.