A novel copper(II) coordination polymer with carboxylate and isoindol backbones of a bifunctional ligand

The reaction of a bifunctional ligand, 3-(1-oxo-1,3-dihydro-isoindol-2-yl)-propionic acid (Hpda) with Cu(NO3)2⋅3H2O in methanol–water in the presence of NaOH at room temperature produces a novel dinuclear copper(II) coordination polymer [Cu2(pda)4]n. The complex is fully characterized in the solid state as well as in solution using various analytical techniques including single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The single crystal X-ray structure analysis reveals that the monomeric unit of complex consists of Cu2(O2CR)4 paddlewheel building unit, where the two copper centers acquire a distorted square pyramidal geometry with amide oxygen of the isoindol ring of an adjacent Hpda ligand sitting on the axial positions.