Calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5 as a versatile building block for homo- and heterometallic coordination polymers

Exocoordination-based homonuclear and heteronuclear coordination polymers of calix [4]-bis-monothiacrown-5 (L) are reported. L reacts with HgCl2 and affords a one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer [L(μ-Hg2Cl4)]n (1) linked by neutral square-type Hg2Cl4 clusters. A straightforward one-pot reaction of L with a mixture of HgCl2 and KCl resulted in the isolation of a heteronuclear species [(K2L)(μ-Hg3Cl8)]n (2) adopting a 1D polymeric structure in which the endocyclic dipotassium(I) complex cation units of L are linked by anionic open double-square type (μ-Hg3Cl8)2− clusters. Both products form a pseudo 3D framework via interchain H-bonds and their topological analyses were also carried out.