Synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic properties of a Cu(II) coordination polymer derived from a flexible tripodal linker

A copper coordination polymer, {[Cu(TIB) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ].Cl 2 (H 2 O) 2 } n ( CP1 ) involving a tripodal N-donor, 1,3,5-tris((1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene (TIB) ligand has been synthesized by environmentally friendly methods and structurally characterized. CP1 exists as a 1D coordination polymer in which the Cu(II) ions possess a distorted octahedral coordination environment provided by N atoms from the four TIB ligands constituting the square base and O atoms from two coordinated water molecules occupying the axial coordination sites. The packing and hydrogen bonding interaction of CP1 revealed that the centrosymmetric metal-organic strands are involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the formation of 3D network via O-H···N, O-H···Cl and π···π interactions. CP1 also features a [(H 2 O) 2 Cl 2 ] cluster running down the c- axis, i.e. , parallel to the metal-organic strands, [Cu(TIB) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] n . CP1 is characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and other physico-chemical techniques. Photocatalytic activity of CP1 for the decomposition of aqueous Aniline Blue (AB) in the presence of 1 M hydrogen peroxide under the LED illumination was examined and showed approximately 62 % dye degradation in 135 min. • A new Cu(II) and tripodal linker-based 1D coordination polymer is synthesized. • The crystal structure of CP1 reveals a hybrid water-chloride cluster. • CP1 exhibits oxidative photocatalytic degradation of aniline blue.