Anion-Directed Entangling Coordination Networks: Luminescence Sensing and Magnetic Properties.

Solvothermal reactions of a bifunctional ligand 4-(2-ethyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzoic acid (2-Heiba) with Cu(NO3 )2 and Cu(OAc)2 afforded two coordination polymers, [Cu3 (2-eiba)4 (NO3 )2 ]⋅5 DMF (1; DMF= N,N-dimethylformamide) and [Cu(2-eiba)2 ] (2), respectively, which show a twofold interpenetrated 3D network and 2D+2D→3D polycatenated architecture. Complex 1 is a potential luminescent detector for nitrobenzene and FeIII ions, whereby strong antiferromagnetic interactions are also found between the CuII centers.