High-dimensional assembly depending on polyoxoanion templates, metal ion coordination geometries, and a flexible bis(imidazole) ligand.

By introducing the flexible 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole) (bbi) ligand into the polyoxovanadate system, five novel polyoxoanion-templated architectures based on [As(8)V(14)O(42)](4-) and [V(16)O(38)Cl](6-) building blocks were obtained: [M(bbi)(2)](2)[As(8)V(14)O(42)(H(2)O)] [M = Co (1), Ni (2), and Zn (3)], [Cu(bbi)](4)[As(8)V(14)O(42)(H(2)O)] (4), and [Cu(bbi)](6)[V(16)O(38)Cl] (5). Compounds 1-3 are isostructural, and they exhibit a binodal (4,6)-connected 2D structure with Schläfli symbol (3(4) x 4(2))(3(4) x 4(4) x 5(4) x 6(3))(2), in which the polyoxoanion induces a closed four-membered circuit of M(4)(bbi)(4). Compound 4 exhibits an interesting 3D framework constructed from tetradentate [As(8)V(14)O(42)](4-) cluster anions and cationic ladderlike double chains. There exists a bigger M(8)(bbi)(6)O(2) circuit in 4. The 3D extended structure of 5 is composed of heptadentate [V(16)O(38)Cl](6-) anions and flexural cationic chains; the latter consists of six Cu(bbi) segments arranged alternately. It presents the largest 24-membered circuit of M(24)(bbi)(24) so far observed made of bbi molecules and transition-metal cations. Investigation of their structural relations shows the important template role of the polyoxoanions and the synergetic interactions among the polyoxoanions, transition-metal ions, and flexible ligand in the assembly process. The magnetic properties of compounds 1-3 were also studied.