Flexibility in the Self-Assembly of Silver Complexes: Coordination Polymers from Multi-Armed Pyridylmethyleneoxy Ligands

The syntheses of new silver complexes of five isomeric bis(pyridylmethyleneoxy)benzenes, differing in the position of substitution on the benzene and pyridine rings, and three isomeric 1,3,5-tris(pyridylmethyleneoxy)benzenes, differing in the position of substitution on the pyridine ring, are described. The structures of six of these complexes were characterised using X-ray crystallography, showing the formation of coordination polymers for 3-pyridyl- and 4-pyridyl-armed ligands and discrete complexes for 2-pyridyl-armed ligands. The precise nature of the structure was further determined by the relative orientation of the pyridine rings in each case.