Controllable assembly of a 3-D metal–organic supramolecular framework with the inclusion of a well-resolved 1-D water morph

Two mixed-ligand metal–organic complexes [Cd2(adipato)(phen)2(NO3)2(H2O)2](H2O)6 (1) and {[Cd(adipato)(phen)](H2O)3}n (2) have been synthesized upon the reaction of Cd(II) nitrate with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and adipate under similar conditions. For 1, the adipato-bridged dinuclear entities are extended into a 3-D supramolecular architecture via hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking. Interestingly, a well-resolved 1-D water morphology consisting of alternate cyclic water tetramer and hexamer is detected as the guests in each channel of this 3-D lattice. Whereas 2 represents a layered coordination polymer in which the CdII centers are interlinked by adipate dianions via different coordination modes.