Isostructural Mercury Coordination Polymers with Amide Junction: Interplay of Coordination and π-π Stacking

Two coordination polymers [Hg2Cl4L center dot 2-(DMF)](n), 1, and [Hg2Br4L center dot 2(DMF)](n), 2, where L is the N,N'-(1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diyl)diisonicotinamide ligand, have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray single crystal diffraction reveals that both coordination polymers are isostructural and that mercury adopts square based pyramid coordination geometry. Our results show that interplay between the coordination of the carbonyl group and pi...pi It interaction of adjacent pyridine rings leads to the formation of 2D structures.