Abstract:
To investigate the influences of non-covalent interactions, specifically hydrogen bonding interactions on the photophysical and catalytic performances of coordination polymers, while minimizing structural variability, two new iso-structural coordination polymers [EuIII2(OH-pda)(ox)2(H2O)4]∙4H2O (I) and [NdIII2(OH-pda)(ox)2(H2O)4]∙4H2O (IIa) ; OH-H2pda = 4-hydroxypyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid ; H2ox = oxalic acid), were successfully synthesized and structurally characterized. These coordination polymers were structurally analogous to [NdIII2(pda)(ox)2(H2O)4]∙4H2O (IIb) which incorporates pda2- (pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) as a primary ligand in place of OH-pda2-. The structural features of IIa analogous to IIb, with 11% higher non-covalent hydrogen interactions arising from hydroxyl group of OH-pda2-, were elucidated. Utilizing IIa and IIb as comparative models and taking advantage of minimal structural variability, the influences of OH functionality on photophysical behaviors and catalytic performances were investigated. UVvisible absorption and phosphorescent emission spectra were investigated to get insights into Singlet (S1) and Triplet (T1) state energies along with bandgap energies of free and coordinated ligands, emphasizing on the significant influence of the OH functionality. The OH functionality was identified as an electron doner and a promoter of hydrogen bonding interactions. Catalytic activity of IIa was compared with IIb in CO2-epoxide cycloaddition reactions using solvent-free and atmospheric pressure conditions, including tetrabutylammonium bromide as a co-catalyst. The lower catalytic performance of IIa (with 62 ± 2% maximum yield) compared to IIb (with 68 ± 2% maximum yield) was an unexpected finding, attributed to the significant involvement of catalytically active sites in hydrogen bondings, which reduced their availability for catalytic activity. The reusability of the catalysts was investigated, underscoring their potential for sustainable applications.