Synthesis and crystal structures of two infinite molecular ladders Ag(4,4′-bpy)X (X = MeCO2·3H2O or H2PO4·H3PO4): function of hydrogen-bonding interaction

Two new ladder motifs of [Ag(4,4′-bpy)]∞ (4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine) sidepieces that are linked by ligand-supported or ligand-unsupported Ag⋯Ag rungs have been crystallographically documented in [Ag(4,4′-bpy)(μ2-O2CMe)]n·3nH2O 1 and [Ag(4,4′-bpy)]n(H2PO4)n·(H3PO4)n 2, respectively; both compounds were synthesized from the self-assembly of silver(I) salts with 4,4′-bpy. The ladders in both complexes are stacked into layers, which are further interconnected by the hydrogen-bonding nets formed by the counterions and water (or H3PO4) molecules, resulting in two three-dimensional networks.