Homochiral Cu(II) and Ni(II) malates with tunable structural features

Four new homochiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based on S-malate anions and N-donor linkers of different length have been prepared under solvothermal conditions. [Cu(mal)(bpy)]·H2O (1), [Cu(mal)(bpe)]·2H2O (2), [Ni(mal)(bpy)]·1.3CH3OH (3) and [Ni(mal)(bpe)]·4H2O (4) (mal=S-malate, bpy=4,4′-bipyridil, bpe=trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) were characterized by a number of analytical methods including powder X-ray diffraction, elemental, thermogravimetric analyses, IR spectroscopy. Compounds 1–3 were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The absence of the chiral ligand racemization under synthetic conditions was unambiguously confirmed by polarimetry experiments. Compounds 1 and 2 contain metal-malate layered motives, connected by N-donor linkers and contribute to the family of isoreticular Cu(II) malates and tartrates [Cu(mal)L] and [Cu(tart)L], (tart=tartrate; L=ditopic rigid organic ligand). The Ni-based compounds 3 and 4 share 1D chiral (Ni(mal)) motives and possess novel type of the chiral framework, previously unknown for chiral carboxylates. The linear N-donor linkers connect these chiral chains, thus controlling the channel diameter and guest accessible volume of the homochiral structure, which exceeds 60 %. - Graphical abstract: Four new homochiral metal–organic frameworks are built from Ni2+ or Cu2+ cations, S-malate anions and N-donor linkers of different length, which controls the size of pores and guest accessible volume of the homochiral structure. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Four new homohiral metal–organic frameworks based on Ni2+ and Cu2+. • Cu(II)–malate layers and Ni(II)–malate chains are connected by N-donor linkers. • N-donor linkers of different length control the size of pores