Novel 3d/4f heterometallic
three-dimensional (3D) networks, based
on CoII/GdIII cations and imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic
acid (H3IDC) and oxalate which are acting as main and auxiliary
ligand, respectively, were hydro-/solvothermally synthesized using
different synthetic strategies. While [Gd(H2O)(C2O4)Co(IDC)(H2O)1.26(CH3CH2OH)0.74]·1.75H2O (1) was obtained in a one-pot synthesis, [Gd(H2O)Co(HIDC)(C2O4)1.5]·2.65H2O (2) was obtained using
a CoII complex precursor. Both compounds crystallize in
a monoclinic system within the centrosymmetric space group C2/c. These structures are characterized
by presenting an intricate covalent 3D network. A notable aspect is
the fact that in these centrosymmetric structures CoII(IDC/HIDC)
moieties are disposed along the networks forming alternate chiral
chains, Λ and Δ. From a magnetic point of view, both (1) and (2) have antiferromagnetic interactions,
but in (1) a magnetic order appears below 8 K, probably
as product of uncompensated antiferromagnetic interactions produced
by centers with different spin values. This ferrimagnetic behavior
was verified by the hysteresis curve at 1.8 K, and by well-defined
maxima, both in the in-phase and out-of-phase ac susceptibilities
curves. Remarkably, this work reports efficient synthetic methods
through which it is possible to generate 3d/4f networks, these being
scarce in the literature.