Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Cobalt(II) and Cadmium(II) Complexes with the Flexible Tripodal Ligand 1,3,5‐Tris(4‐pyridylmethoxyl)benzene

Three complexes [Co(L 4 )(DMF)(H 2 O)(NO 3 )]NO 3 · DMF·0.5H 2 O (1) , [Co(L 4 ) 2 (SCN) 2 ]·4CH 3 OH·H 2 O (2) and [Cd(L 4 )(bipy)(H 2 O) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O (3) (DMF = N, N ‐dimethylformamide, bipy = 4,4′‐bipyridine) were synthesized by reactions of ligand 1,3,5‐tris(4‐pyridylmethoxyl)benzene (L 4 ) with the corresponding metal salts and their structures were determined by X‐ray single‐crystal structure analysis. Complex 1 crystallizes in monoclinic space group C 2/c with cell parameters a = 26.200(9) Å, b = 17.465(5) Å, c = 17.275(5) Å, β = 118.183(10)°, V = 6968(4) Å 3 , Z = 8, while complexes 2 and 3 crystallize in triclinic space group $P{\bar 1}$ with different cell parameters, complex 2: a = 9.3077(7) Å, b = 14.7251(7) Å, c = 21.4745(13) Å, α = 70.380(4)°, β = 83.161(4)°, γ = 82.350(4)°, V = 2738.9(3) Å 3 , Z = 2; complex 3 : a = 9.797(6) Å, b = 11.807(6) Å, c = 13.970(11) Å, α = 88.03(6)°, β = 88.77(6)°, γ = 74.53(5)°, V = 1556.4(17) Å 3 , Z = 1. In complexes 1 , 2 and 3 , all the metal atoms adopt distorted octahedral coordination, however, the ligand L 4 have different coordination modes. In complex 1 , the ligand acts as a three‐connected node to coordinate with three Co II atoms, and generate a doubly interpenetrated (10, 3)‐b three‐dimensional framework. In complex 2 , each ligand L 4 uses two of three arms to link two Co II atoms to form an infinite one‐dimensional hinged chain structure, while in complex 3 , the L 4 only serves as a terminal monodentate ligand.