Cobalt and manganese nets via their wires: facile transformation in metal-diorganophosphates.

The manganese and cobalt complexes [M(dtbp)2]n (M=Mn, Co; dtbp=di-tert-butyl phosphate), which exist as one-dimensional molecular wires, transform to [M(dtbp)2(bpy)2.2H2O]n by the addition of 4,4-bipyridine (bpy) at room temperature; the latter compounds form noninterpenetrating rectangular grid structures.