Metal-containing dicarboxylic acids as building blocks for lamellar inorganic-organic hybrid networks

The synthesis of two transition-metal-containing dicarboxylic acids, and their use as starting materials in the supramolecular synthesis of eight different lamellar solids is reported. Ni(II) and Co(II) salts are reacted with 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,4-H(2)PDCA), in water solution to create the dicarboxylic acid starting materials, which are then allowed to react with a variety of primary amines. A comparison of four resulting crystal structures indicates that the compounds are architecturally consistent; in each case virtually identical layers are separated by a hydrophobic interlayer the nature of which depends on the nature of the organic amine used in the reaction. An analogy is made between lamellar solids created by organic supramolecular reactions (in which dicarboxylic acids and amines are the starting materials) and the reported inorganic-organic hybrid materials (where the dicarboxylic acid is a coordination compound).