Linear alkaline earth metal phosphinate coordination polymers: synthesis and structural characterization

Reaction of alkaline earth metal salts with diphenylphosphinic acid in dimethylformamide solvent afforded four coordination polymers: [Mg3(O2PPh2)6(DMF)2]·2DMF (I), [Ca(O2PPh2)2(DMF)2] (II), [Sr(O2PPh2)2(DMF)2] (III) and [Ba(O2PPh2)2(DMF)2] (IV) (where DMF is N,N-dimethylformamide). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that all four compounds produce linear chain structures in the solid state, with the Ca, Sr and Ba forming isostructural crystals. The bulk materials were characterized by FT-IR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses.