One-dimensional helical coordination polymers of cobalt(II) and iron(II) ions with 2,2′-bipyridyl-3,3′-dicarboxylate (BPDC^2-)

One-dimensional (1-D) helical coordination polymers, [M^II(H₂O)₃(BPDC)]_n · nH₂O (M = Co (1), Fe (2)), have been prepared by the self-assembly of cobalt(II) and iron(II) ions, respectively, with 2,2′-bipyridyl-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid (H₂BPDC) in an aqueous solution. X-ray crystal structures of compounds 1 and 2 show that each metal ion displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry including three water oxygen atoms, one oxygen atom of the carboxylate of a BPDC^2- belonging to the adjacent metal ion and two nitrogen atoms from the BPDC^2- acting as a chelating ligand. In 1 and 2, one carboxylate oxygen atom of coordinated BPDC^2- binds to the neighboring metal ion, which give rise to 1-D helical coordination polymers. The helical chains of 1 and 2 are linked by the hydrogen bonding interactions between the carboxylate oxygen atom of the BPDC^2- ion belonging to a chain and the water molecule of the adjacent helical chain, which lead to 2-D networks extending along the ab plane. The supramolecules 1 and 2 show isomorphous structures regardless of the metal ions.