Syntheses, Structures and Properties of Two Metal–Iodide Polymers Based on a Flexile N-Donor Ligand

Two novel metal–organic frameworks based on 1,3-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)-benzene (m-bix), namely [(Cu4I4)(bix)2]n (1) and [HgI2(bix)]n (2) have been synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, luminescent properties and X-ray crystallography. The structure of compound 1 exhibits a 1D metal–organic chain composed of Cu4I4 clusters and m-bix ligands, and such chains are further united together to generate a 3D supramolecular structure through inter-chain π···π interactions. In compound 2, the HgI2-bix chains interact each other to form a layer structure through π···π interactions, then the layers are extended to 3D supramolecular architecture through intermolecular C–H···π interactions.