Synthesis and crystal structures of two nickel coordination polymers generated from asymmetric malate ligand

Two nickel coordination polymers [Ni(H2O)(C4H4O5)]·H2O 1 and [Ni(H2O)(mal)(phen)] 2, have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data for 1: C4H8O7Ni, monoclinic Cc, image, image, image, image, image. Crystal data for 2: C16H14N2O6Ni, orthorhombic Pna21, image, image, image, image. Compound 1 is constructed from [Ni(H2O)(C4H4O5)] sheets pillared through β-carboxylate groups into a 3D framework, which exhibits a diamond-like network. Compound 2 exhibits a 3D supramolecular network. To our knowledge, compound 1 represents the first diamond-like topology in the system of metal–malate. Other characterizations by elemental analysis, IR and TG are also described. The magnetic behavior of compound 1 has been studied.