Mononuclear metal phosphinates with ancillary pyrazole ligands. Synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of [M(Ph<SUB>2</SUB>PO<SUB>2</SUB>)<SUB>2</SUB>(3,5-DMPZ)<SUB>2</SUB>] (M = Co, Zn)

The reaction of diphenylphosphinic acid, [Ph<SUB>2</SUB>P(O)(OH)], with CoCl<SUB>2</SUB> or ZnCl<SUB>2</SUB> and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (DMPZ) in the presence of triethylamine affords the mononuclear phosphinates, M(Ph<SUB>2</SUB>PO<SUB>2</SUB>)<SUB>2</SUB>(DMPZ)<SUB>2</SUB> (M= Co(1), Zn(2)). The molecular structures of 1 and 2 reveal a tetrahedral environment around the metal. The phosphinate ligands are monoanionic and bind to the metal in a monodentate manner, while the pyrazole ligands act as neutral monodentate ligands. Intermolecular C-H-O and p-p interactions in 1 and 2 result in the generation of two dimensional supramolecular polymeric sheets in the solid state