Hydro-ionothermal syntheses, crystal structures, and properties of five new divalent metal iminophosphonates

The use of a moderately hydrophobic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BdMIM][BF(4)]), as a cosolvent with water, has been investigated in the synthesis of metal phosphonates. This hydro-ionothermal synthesis has been carried out through a systematic combinatorial investigation of several divalent metal chlorides and two related ligands, iminobis(methylphosphonic acid) and N-methyliminiobis(methylphosphonic acid). These reactions resulted in five new divalent metal phosphonates. We present here the synthetic techniques utilized as well as the X-ray structures and characteristic properties of each of these compounds. Co(HO(3)PCH(2)NH(2)CH(2)PO(3)H)(2), (1), consists of sheets that are hydrogen bonded together by pairs of P-O···H groups. Co(H(2)O)(2)(HO(3)PCH(2)NH(2)CH(2)PO(3)H)(2), (2), consists of chains that are connected through an extensive network of hydrogen bonds. Co(HO(3)PCH(2)NH(CH(3))CH(2)PO(3)H)(2), (3), is made up of sheets that are hydrogen bonded together by pairing P-O···H interactions. Zn(3)(O(3)PCH(2)NH(2)CH(2)PO(3))(2), (4), is isostructural to a previously reported cobalt compound which is a non-porous 3-dimensional network. CuClPO(3)CH(2)NH(2)CH(3), (5), formed as a result of an in situ N-C bond cleavage. Ladders built of Cu-O-P-O 8-membered rings are crosslinked by bridging chloride atoms to form sheets. 1, 3, 4 and 5 have been synthesized using the hydrophobic ionic liquid 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BdMIM][BF(4)]) with water as a cosolvent, while 2 has been synthesized from identical conditions in the absence of the [BdMIM][BF(4)]. We also report the microwave assisted hydro-ionothermal synthesis of the known polymorph of 2, Co(H(2)O)(2)(HO(3)PCH(2)NH(2)CH(2)PO(3)H)(2), (6), synthesized in two hours providing high quality crystals in good yield. The compounds have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and IR spectroscopy, and their magnetic properties have been investigated.