Nanowire iron(III) coordination polymer based on 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine and chloride ligands

The neutral ligand 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (tp) has been employed to prepare a new coordination compound of Fe(III), [FeCl3(tp)2]n (1). Compound 1 was investigated by single crystal X-ray diffraction and found to be a coordination polymer forming a ladder structure based on metal–ligand interactions, while H-bonding and aromatic interactions contribute to the supramolecular self-assembly into a 3D nanostructured material. The polymeric assembly is retained also in solution, where a metallo-supramolecular polymer based on coordinative metal–ligand binding is present, as shown by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The redox properties of the Fe(III) coordination polymer have also been investigated in different solvents and its nanowire structure has been assessed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging of the species deposited onto a freshly cleaved mica surface.