The Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Structural Study of a Copper(II) Complex with a (3-py)2Hg Linker: A Zig-Zag Chain Paddle-Wheel Coordination Polymer

The reaction of (3-py)2Hg (1) with Cu(OAc)2·H2O, in a 1:2 molar ratio, afforded the isolation of [(3-py)2Hg{Cu2(OAc)4}]n (2). This new bimetallic coordination polymer based on copper(II)- and mercury(II)-containing building blocks was characterized by an elemental analysis, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies, a thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. For comparison, the UV-Vis properties of solid 1 are also reported. The structure of both 1 and 2 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structural analysis of 2 shows a zig-zag 1D chain with alternating (3-py)2Hg molecules and Cu2(OAc)4 fragments connected via N → Cu coordinative bonds. Further interchain Hg···O, H···π, and π···π interactions support a 2D layer of zig-zag chains.