A new copper(II) coordination polymer containing chains of interconnected paddle-wheel antiferromagnetic clusters

The construction of supramolecular architectures based on inorganic-organic coordination frameworks with weak noncovalent interactions has implications for the rational design of functional materials. A new crystalline binuclear copper(II) one-dimensional polymeric chain, namely catena-poly[[[tetrakis(μ-4-azaniumylbutanoato-κ²O:O')dicopper(II)(Cu-Cu)]-μ-chlorido-[diaquadichloridocopper(II)]-μ-chlorido] bis(perchlorate)], {[Cu₃Cl₄(C₄H₉NO₂)₄(H₂O)₂](ClO₄)₂}_n, was obtained by the reaction of 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with CuCl₂·2H₂O in aqueous solution. The structure was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and was also characterized by IR spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. The crystal structure consists of [{Cu₂(GABA)₄}{CuCl₄(H₂O)₂}]⁺ cations and isolated perchlorate anions. Two symmetry-related Cu^II centres are bridged via carboxylate O atoms into a classical paddle-wheel configuration, with a Cu...Cu distance of 2.643 (1) Å, while bridging Cl atoms complete the square-pyramidal geometry of the metal atoms. The Cl atoms connect the paddlewheel moieties to a second Cu^II atom lying on an octahedral site, resulting in infinite helical chains along the c axis. The packing motif exhibits channels containing free perchlorate anions. The crystal structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the perchlorate anions, the coordinated water molecules and the ammonium groups of the polymeric chains. The magnetic analysis of the title compound indicates a nontrivial antiferromagnetic behaviour arising from alternating weak-strong antiferromagnetic coupling between neighbouring Cu^II centres.