Synthesis, crystal structures, luminescence and catalytic properties of three silver(I) coordination polymers with bis(imidazole) and benzenedicarboxylic acid ligands

Three new silver coordination compounds with empirical formula [Ag-2(L1)(2)center dot(ntp)center dot(H2O)(3.25)](n) (1), [Ag-1.5(L1)(1.5)center dot(H(0.5)bdc)center dot(H2O)(4)](n) (2) and [Ag(L2)(Hmip)](n) (3) (L1 = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene, L2 = 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole, H(2)ntp = 2-nitroterephthalic acid, H(2)bdc = 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, H(2)mip = 5-methylisophthalic acid) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and physico-chemical spectroscopic methods. The silver centers display different environments with a linear geometry in 1 and 2 and distorted T-shaped geometry in 3. In 1-3, the bidentate N-donor ligands (L1 and L2) bridge neighboring silver centers to form 1D infinite chain structures. Complexes 2 and 3 are extended into 2D layers, and 1 is packed into a 3D 3,4,4,6-connected supermolecular network via classical O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, while 3 is further extended into 3D framework through pi-pi interactions. The luminescence properties of complexes 1, 2 and 3 were investigated in the solid state. These coordination polymers possess a remarkable activity for degradation of methyl orange by persulfate in a Fenton-like process.