Influence of the counterion in the supramolecular frameworks of isoquinoline-based silver(I) complexes

Silver coordination chemistry has been widely studied, among others, because of their fascinating structures where the counterions can play an essential role in the construction of supramolecular networks. Herein, seven new Ag(I) complexes containing bis(1-isoquinolinecarboxamide)ethane (L1), bis(1-isoquinoline-N,N’-dimethylcarboxamide)ethane (L2) and bis(1-isoquinolinecarboxamide)propane (L3) as ligands have been synthesized and their crystal structures were obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction, with ClO4-, NO3-and CF3CO2- as counterions. These species were analysed from three point of views. First, the differences and similarities among the amide-to-amide hydrogen bonds patterns when were compared to those of bis(1-isoquinolinecarboxamide)alkane ligands. Second, their structural patterns based on the coordinative ability of the counterions. Finally, the analysis of the robustness of the amide-to amide intermolecular hydrogen bonds when a coordination complex is formed. Among the most critical features of anions contextualized in this research, it is their coordinating ability and the participation in non-covalent interactions with the ligands.