Synthesis, crystal structure and catalytic property of a new Cu(I) coordination polymer constructed from melamine and azide ligands

A new Cu(I) polymer, namely [Cu3(N3)3(MA)]n (1 MA = melamine) was prepared by the hydrothermal reactions of CuCl with NaN3 in the presence of melamine. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that 1 features a three-dimensional (3D) pillar-layered framework, which can be simplified into a (3, 7)-connected topological network with the Schläfli symbol of {42.6}{46.615}. Interestingly, in this framework, three Cu(I) ions are connected together by three azide anions into an unusual [Cu3(N3)3] metallocycle building block. Under the direction of Nsingle bondH…N hydrogen bonds, melamine ligand adopts a rare μ3-bridging mode, and connects adjacent [Cu3(N3)3] metallocycles into a honeycomb two-dimensional (2D) layer. In addition, the catalytic performance of 1 for degradation of methyl orange in a Feton-like process has also been investigated.