Self-assembly of silver(I) polymers with single strand double-helical structures containing the ligand O,O′-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,8-dioxaoctane

The flexible multidentate ligand O,O'-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,8-dioxaoctane (ODOQ) reacted with AgX (X = ClO4-, BF4-, CF3SO3-, or CF3CO2-) to give four new complexes [Ag(ODOQ)](n)X-n: X = ClO4- 1; X = BF4- 2; X = CF3SO3- 3, and [Ag(ODOQ)(CF3CO2)](n) 4. All four complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR and H-1 NMR spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray analyses showed that they have similar 1-D extended architectures with each ligand in "similar to" shape, while the chains are alternately and parallelly arranged with the silver(I) atoms as the backbone to form double helical mesomeric strands. The structures are controlled more by the spacer (CH2)(6) than by the anions: the versatile coordination geometry of the silver(I) atom is trigonally bonded but changes to distorted tetrahedral or trigonal bipyrimidal via weak Ag...O interactions. In addition, face-to-face pi...pi (in 1-4) and edge-to-face C-H... ic (in 3) interactions as well as hydrogen bonds C-H...O and C-H... F between adjacent strands assemble the cations in 1-3 or neutral molecules in 4 into an extended network.