New examples of self-catenation in two three-dimensional polymeric co-ordination networks

Among the new types of entanglements in polymeric architectures the phenomenon of self-interpenetration has attracted attention in recent times. Two new three-dimensional networks that present this unusual topological feature have been obtained. The first species, [Ag(2-ethpyz)(2)][SbF(6)] 1 (2-ethpyz=2-ethylpyrazine), contains four-connected silver centres that give [Ag(4)(2-ethpyz)(4)] squares linked into double-crankshaft ribbons. Each of these ribbons is joined to parallel identical motifs to form a three-dimensional four-connected binodal frame of (4(2),6(3),8)(4(2),6,8(2),9) topology, the same as that of coesite, a high-pressure polymorph of silica, exhibiting self-catenated 8-membered circuits. The second species, [Cu(bpe)(2)(SO(4))]. 5H(2)O 2 [bpe=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane], is a nanoporous polymer based on copper(II) centres four-connected to pyridyl groups to give a [Cu(bpe)(2)] three-dimensional binodal network with the unprecedented (6(4),8(2))(6,8(5)) topology, showing the unique feature that all the shortest circuits are self-catenated.