Assembly of a tennis ball-like supramolecule coordinatively encapsulating disilver

Synthesis of the one-to-one dimeric silver(I) complexes (2 and 3), [Ag2(1)2]X2 (2: X=PF6−, 3: X=ClO4−), of 1,13-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane (1) is described. The crystal structures of the complexes reveal that a couple of the acyclic ligand 1 is reorganized cooperatively by intermolecular π–π stacking, Ag–Ag contacts and coordination. Thus, in both complexes two molecular chains of 1 wrap itself around the two silver atoms, so forming discrete self-complementary tennis ball-like dimers.