Co-chelation of a scorpion-shaped carboxylate ligand and phenanthroline lead to a 2-D interpenetratively tubular architecture

Abstract

A novel zinc coordination supramolecular complex, {[Zn3(OABDC)2(phen)3]·2H2O}n, with an open-ended nanotube architecture based on a nano-sized tetranuclear Zn4(OABDC)4 metallacycle repeating unit, is strategically designed and synthesized using a unique scorpion-shaped carboxylate ligand (5-oxyacetate isophthalic acid = H3OABDC) and phenanthroline.