Sheet and chain polymeric transition metal complexes formed by N,N′-o-phenylenedimethylenebis(pyridin-4-one)

The preparations are reported of the ‘extended reach’ ligand N,N′-o-phenylene-dimethylenebis(pyridin-4-one) (o-XBP4) and of a range of its metal complexes with Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II), two of which have been shown by X-ray studies to have polymeric structures. In the compound [Mn(o-XBP4)(H2O)2(NO3)](NO3) the o-XBP4 ligands link ‘Mn(H2O)2(NO3)’ units into chains which are then cross-linked into sheets by the bridging action of the coordinated nitrate. In [Cu(o-XBP4)(NO3)2] chains are also formed by the bridging action of the o-XBP4 ligands but here they simply pack trough-in-trough with no nitrate cross-linking. X-band EPR spectra are reported for these and the other Mn and Cu compounds as are relevant spectroscopic results for the other complexes.