The development of new families of synthetic molecular
systems
projecting neutral, bi-, or multi-H-bonding donor units is significant
to acquire the desired selectivity within the fascinating area of
anion recognition. Here, we illustrate the reaction between a neutral
4-amino-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole ligand (L)
with acidic solutions containing either chloride, bromide, nitrate,
phosphate, iodide, sulfate, hexafluorosilicate, fluoride, tetrafluoroborate
or perchlorate anions, yielding 16 new anion-mediated supramolecular
entities, H2LCl2 (1), H2LBr2 (2), H2L(NO3)2 (3), HL(H2PO4) (4), H2L(H2PO4)2 (5), [H2L]2I4 (6), H2L(NO3)2 (7), H2L(SO4)·H2O (8), H2LSiF6 (9), H2LSiF6·2H2O (10), H2L(HF2)2 (11), H3LI3 (12), H3L(BF4)3 (13), H3L(ClO4)3 (14), H3L(ClO4)3·2H2O (15), and H3LH3O(SiF6)2·2H2O (16), thoroughly
examined by elemental analyses, Fourier transform-attenuated total
reflectance-infrared (FT-ATR-IR), thermal analysis, powder diffraction,
and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We identified the propensity
of H2PO4
– into a cyclic hexameric
cluster (H2PO4
–)6 stabilized by a bent ligand L via a combination of
functionalities such as an amino group, pyridyl terminals, and a triazolyl
core. Additionally, we also found the anion–water clusters
ranging from a cyclic tetramer [(SO4)2–(H2O)2]4– and an octameric cluster
[(SiF6)4–(H2O)4]∞
8– to an acyclic tetramer [(ClO4
–)2(H2O)2]. As shown by the study, subtle modulation in the crystallization
environment offers the possibility to yield entirely distinctive forms
of molecular salts comprising both anhydrous and a few hydrates with
different protonated numbers (mono-, di- or triprotonated). A systematic
study indicates that the molecular salts obtained from different anions
construct diverse supramolecular extended architectures (e.g., bricklayer,
columns, zig-zag, stair-steps, wave-like, helical, double chain, and
criss-cross orientation) self-assembled by a combination of noncovalent
interactions, constituting distinct H-bonded geometry patterns, essentially
depending on the molecular conformation of the bent ligand and the
type of the anion utilized (linear, spherical, triangular, tetrahedral,
and octahedral) in the preparation of salts.