Controlled crystallization of mixed-ligand complexes of 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane-N,N'-dioxide with metal(II) thiocyanates: isostructurality in coordination networks bearing different mono- and di-nuclear nodes.

The new flexible spacer ligand 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane-N,N'-dioxide forms three classes of isomorphous compounds with metal(iI) thiocyanates at controlled ligand-metal molar ratios, and its mu3-O,O,O' mode leads to a pair of coordination networks having the same (4, 4) topological characteristics but different mono- and di-nuclear nodes.