Insight into solvent nature on coordination polymerization: Crystal structures of cadmium(II) chloride containing diallylbis(pyridin-4-yl)silane

A close insight into a systematic solvent-template effect on self-assembly of cadmium(II) chloride with new diallylbis(pyridin-4-yl)silane ligand (L) has been achieved. Each reaction gives rise to the 1: 2 composition of Cd(II): L, but shows significant solvent template effects on the formation of topology. The reaction in MeOH and in MeCN yields 1D loop chain, [CdCl₂L₂]·4MeOH and [CdCl₂L₂]·2MeCN, respectively, containing the solvate molecules whereas the same treatment in the relatively bulky solvents such as EtOH, n-PrOH, and i-PrOH yields interpenetrated 2D sheet, [CdCl₂L₂]. Their packing structures are also strongly depending on the nature of each solvent. Thus, construction and packing of each structure are determined by solvent templates rather than synthetic methodology. Solvate MeOH molecules of [CdCl₂L₂]·4MeOH crystals in MeCN media are perfectly exchanged to MeCN molecules and the solvate MeCN molecules of [CdCl₂L₂]·2MeCN crystals in MeOH media are exchanged into MeOH molecules as solvate, indicating that the solvate molecules do not interact significantly with the skeletal structures.