Exploring the effect of chain length of bridging ligands in cobalt(II) coordination polymers based on flexible bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole) ligands: Synthesis, crystal structures, fluorescence and catalytic properties

Two Co(II) coordination polymers derived from a dicarboxylate and two flexible bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole) ligands with varying chain lengths equipped, namely [Co(bdmbmm)(nip)]n (1) and [Co2(bdmbmb)2(nip)2⋅H2O]n (2) (bdmbmm = 1,1′-bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole)methane, H2nip = 5-nitroisophthalic acid, bdmbmb = 1,4-bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole)butane), have been synthesized by hydrothermal methods and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 forms a 1D looped-like chain consisting of two kinds of macrocycles, which is further arranged into a 2D supramolecular layer through face-to-face π–π stacking interactions; whereas complex 2 exhibits a 3D framework with a twofold interpenetrating diamondoid topology. The fluorescence and catalytic properties of the complexes for the degradation of methyl orange by sodium persulfate have been investigated.