Hydrothermal synthesis of a novel microporous framework sustained by polycatenated [CuI2(ip)(4,4′-bipyridine)]n (ip = isophthalate) ladders

A novel ladder coordination polymer [CuI2(ip)(4,4′-bipyridine)] · 3.5H2O (1) (ip=isophthalate) was prepared via redox reaction under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the crystal structure of 1, each ring of the ladder is interlocked by two different, symmetry-related ladders, and the polycatenation of ladders forms a 3D network with rhombic channels clathrating water molecules.