Polymeric silver(I) and mercury(II) complexes with chiral bis(pyridyl) ligands

The racemic binaphthol derivatized ligands LL=rac−1,1′-C20H12(OCH2-4-C5H4N)2, 1, and rac−1,1′-C20H12(OCH2-3-C5H4N)2, 2, react with silver trifluoroacetate or with mercury(II) salts to give the polymeric complexes [Ag(O2CCF3)(μ-LL)]n or [HgX2(μ-LL)]n. Individual polymer chains may be chiral or racemic, with sequences of binaphthyl groups with chirality …RRR…, …SSS… or …RSRS…, respectively. The polymer chains may associate, through Ag⋯Ag or Hg–X⋯Hg secondary bonding, to give more complex double-stranded polymer or sheet structures.