Synthesis, crystal structure and catalytic properties of a 2D cobalt(II) coordination polymer based on mixed ligands

A new Co(II) metal-organic coordination polymer based on flexible bis(imidazole) and aromatic dicarboxylate co-ligands, namely [Co(bix)(nph)](n)(H(2)nph = 3-nitrophthalic acid, bix = 1,4-bis(imidazole-1-ylmethyl)benzene), has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, TG, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P (1) over bar with a = 9.3767(14), b = 10.1451(15), c = 12.1488(17) angstrom, alpha = 102.6450(10), beta = 108.856(2), gamma = 98.807(2)degrees, V = 1035.3(3) angstrom(3), Z = 2, C22H17CoN5O6, M-r= 506.34, D-c = 1.624 g/cm(3), mu = 0.882 mm(-1) and F(000) = 518. In the complex, the nph(2-) ligands connect neighbouring cobalt atoms to form binuclear [Co(nph)](2) subunits, which are linked by pairs of bix ligands to form a 2D honeycomb-like (6,3) network. In addition, the compound is further extended into a 3D supramolecular architecture by pi center dot center dot center dot pi stacking interactions. Moreover, the luminescence and catalytic properties of the complex are investigated