Reversible phase transformation and mechanochromic luminescence of Zn(II)-dipyridylamide-based coordination frameworks.

A 1D double-zigzag framework, {[Zn(paps)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4))(2)}(n) (1; paps = N,N'-bis(pyridylcarbonyl)-4,4'-diaminodiphenyl thioether), was synthesized by the reaction of Zn(ClO(4))(2) with paps. However, a similar reaction, except that dry solvents were used, led to the formation of a novel 2D polyrotaxane framework, [Zn(paps)(2)(ClO(4))(2)](n) (2). This difference relies on the fact that water coordinates to the Zn(II) ion in 1, but ClO(4)(-) ion coordination is found in 2. Notably, the structures can be interconverted by heating and grinding in the presence of moisture, and such a structural transformation can also be proven experimentally by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The related N,N'-bis- (pyridylcarbonyl)-4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (papo) and N,N'-(methylenedi-para-phenylene)bispyridine-4-carboxamide (papc) ligands were reacted with Zn(II) ions as well. When a similar reaction was performed with dry solvents, except that papo was used instead of paps, the product mixture contained mononuclear [Zn(papo)(CH(3)OH)(4)](ClO(4))(2) (5) and the polyrotaxane [Zn(papo)(2)(ClO(4))(2)](n) (4). From the powder XRD data, grinding this mixture in the presence of moisture resulted in total conversion to the pure double-zigzag {[Zn(papo)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4))(2)}(n) (3) immediately. Upon heating 3, the polyrotaxane framework of 4 was recovered. The double-zigzag {[Zn(papc)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4))(2)}(n) (6) and polyrotaxane [Zn(papc)(2)(ClO(4))(2)](n) (7) were synthesized in a similar reaction. Although upon heating the double-zigzag 6 undergoes structural transformation to give the polyrotaxane 7, grinding solid 7 in the presence of moisture does not lead to the formation of 6. Significantly, the bright emissions for double-zigzag frameworks of 1 and 3 and weak ones for polyrotaxane frameworks of 2 and 4 also show interesting mechanochromic luminescence.