The building block approach to extended solids: 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylate coordination compounds of increasing dimensionality.

A series of M(II) complexes with the ligand 3,5-pyrazoledicarboxylic acid (H3dcp) has been synthesised mainly via hydrothermal reactions and their structures have been characterised. Simple mononuclear [Ni(Hdcp)(H2O)4] (1), Na2(mu-H2O)2(H2O)8[Ni(Hdcp)2(H2O)2] (2), [M(H2dcp)2(H2O)2] x 2H2O [M = Co (3), Zn (4) and Cu (5)] and dinuclear (Et3NH)2[Cu2(dcp)2(H2O)2] (9) building blocks have been isolated and subsequently linked into 1-D chains [Mn(Hdcp)(H2O)2]infinity (6), [[Mn(H2O)4][Mn(Hdcp)2(H2O)2] x 4H2O]infinity (7), [Ni2(Hdcp)2(mu-H2O)2(H2O)2]infinity (8), [[Ni(H2O)4][Ni2(dcp)2(H2O)4]]infinity (11), or 3-D arrays [[Na2(mu-H2O)2][Cu2(dcp)2]]infinity (10), [Cu3(dcp)2(H2O)4]infinity (12), utilising novel bridging modes of the H3dcp ligand. In the unprecedented 1-D Ni(II) chain 8, rarely reported double aqua-bridges link the Ni(II) ions to form an inter-linked double stranded chain. The magnetic properties of these compounds have been measured and reveal a variety of antiferromagnetic coupling behaviours induced by the ligand bridging modes. Copyright 2004 The Royal Society of Chemistry