Different structural destinations: comparing reactions of [CuBr2(3-Brpy)2] crystals with HBr and HCl gas
Reaction of green crystalline solid trans-[CuBr2(3-Brpy)2] 1 (3-Brpy = 3-bromopyridine) with HBr (aq) vapour yields brown crystalline salt (3-BrpyH)2[CuBr4] 2 with quantitative conversion. Notably 2 adopts a different crystal structure to the three mutually isostructural compounds (3-XpyH)2[CuCl4] (X = Cl, Br) and (3-BrpyH)2[CuBr2Cl2] which result from reaction with HCl. Crystalline product 2 has been characterised by X-ray powder diffraction and its conversion back to 1 at 370–400 K has been followed in situ by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. Crystalline 1 and 2 are further notable for the presence of intermolecular C–Br⋯Br–Cu halogen bonds and (only in the case of 2) N–H⋯Br–Cu hydro…
Chemical transformations of a crystalline coordination polymer: a multi-stage solid–vapour reaction manifold
In its crystal structure the one-dimensional coordination polymer [Ag4(O2C(CF2)2CF3)4(TMP)3]n (1) (TMP = 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine) adopts a zig-zag arrangement in which pairs of silver(I) centres bridged by two fluorocarboxylate ligands are linked alternately via one or two neutral TMP ligands. This material can reversibly absorb/desorb small alcohols (ROH) in single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations, despite the lack of porosity in the crystals, to yield a related material of formula [Ag4(O2C(CF2)2CF3)4(TMP)3(ROH)2]n (1-ROH). The absorption process includes coordination of the alcohol to silver(I) centres and, in the process, insertion of the alcohol into one-quarter of the Ag–O…