Formation of different polymeric water clusters via organic anionic templates: More carboxylate groups used, more water molecules gathered

Abstract Two sandwich-like frameworks with Ag(I) and mixed ligands, [Ag 3 (bpp) 3 (ctc)·16H 2 O] n ( 1 ) and [Ag 3 (bpe) 3 (btc)·12H 2 O] n ( 2 ) (where bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane, H 3 ctc = 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid, bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, and H 3 btc = 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Fully deprotonated tricarboxylate ctc 3 − in 1 or btc 3 − in 2 , serves as anionic template driving more water molecules to aggregate into different morphologies of polymeric clusters. In 1 , the hydrogen-bonding association of sixteen lattice water molecules leads to the formation of 2D layered water, which is composed of three kinds of units including planar (H 2 O) 4 , ladder-like (H 2 O) 8 and windmill-shaped (H 2 O) 20 cluster. One novel 1D double-comb-like water aggregate constructed from alternating (H 2 O) 22 cluster and water dimmer exists in 2 . The present observations suggest that anionic templates with more carboxylate groups have high tendency of being hydrated and make polymeric clusters possible.