Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Electrochemical Studies of Two Novel Zn(II) Complexes of Phthalic Acid and Imidazole Derivatives

Two novel coordination polymers [Zn(pa)(vim) 2 ] n ( 1 ) and [Zn(pa)(eim) 2 ] n ( 2 ) (pa=phthalic acid dianion, vim=1‐vinyl‐1 H ‐imidazole, eim=1‐ethyl‐1 H ‐imidazole) have been synthesized and their structures characterized by X‐ray single crystal diffractometry and elemental analysis. Both of the complexes consist of [Zn(L) 2 ] (L=vim for 1 ; eim for 2 ) entities linked into polymeric zigzag chains along the crystallographic c ‐axis by bridging phthalate anions in the µ 2 ‐1,2 coordination mode. The coordination around each Zn(II) atom is tetrahedral. There are only van der Waals interactions between the chains in 1 , while the three‐dimensional network in 2 is assembled by CH···O contacts. The electrochemical studies reveal that redoxes of Zn 2+ /Zn in complexes 1 and 2 are irreversible processes.