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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Characterizing Lewis Pairs Using Titration Coupled with In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: February 20, 2020
Tuning Dimensions of Complexes through Selective In Situ Reaction, Mechanistic Insights into Ni(II)-Catalyzed Br-OH
Chang-Dai Si1, Jian-Bin Zhang1, Feng-Feng Pan1
1College of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianshui Normal University, Tianshui741001, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Two coordination polymers (CPs), namely, [Mn3(L)2(4,4'-bipy)2(H2O)2] (1) and [Ni(L1)(1,4-bib)(H2O)] (2) (H3L = 5-(3-bromo-4-carboxyphenoxy)isophthalic acid, H2L1 = 5-(3-hydroxyphenoxy)isophthalic acid, 4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine, and 1,4-bib = 1,4-bis(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene), were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Most notably, with the help of the bromine atom-inducing effect, ligand transformation was observed in the structure of complex 2, which was scrutinized thoroughly by single crystal X-ray crystallography and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Strikingly, Ni(II) ions were utilized as both coordinated atoms and as a catalyst for in situ Br-OH exchange of H3L in the process, as a result of which the product would have preferred to form a one-dimensional chain. The same reaction cannot happen in 1, leading to form a two-dimensional structure. Moreover, Ni(II)-catalyzed and magnetic exchange mechanisms were well interpreted using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Finally, complexes 1-2 show three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular structures because of intermolecular weak interactions (C-Br···π, C-H···π, C-H···O, and π···π stacking) and exhibit utterly different antiferrimagnetic coupling interactions.
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