Self-assembly of a mixed-ligand silver-based coordination polymer.

The novel title silver(I) coordination polymer, catena-poly[[acetonitrilesilver(I)]-di-mu-4-[N-(diphenylphosphino)aminomethyl]pyridine-kappa(2)N(1):P;kappa(2)P:N(1)-[acetonitrilesilver(I)]-mu(3)-4-[N,N-bis(diphenylphosphino)aminomethyl]pyridine-kappa(3)N(1):P:P'-bis[acetonitrilesilver(I)(Ag-Ag)]-mu(3)-4-[N,N-bis(diphenylphosphino)aminomethyl]pyridine-kappa(3)P:P':N(1)] tetrakis(tetrafluoroborate) acetonitrile trisolvate], Ag(4)(C(2)H(3)N)(4)(C(18)H(17)N(2)P)(2)(C(30)H(26)N(2)P(2))(2)(4).3C(2)H(3)N, is formed by the self-assembly of the Ph(2)P(4-NHCH(2)C(5)H(4)N) and (Ph(2)P)(2)(4-NCH(2)C(5)H(4)N) ligands with silver tetrafluoroborate. The polymer consists of alternating rings (which lie about inversion centers) bridged by the pyridyl rings of the bis-phosphine-substituted ligands, with anions hydrogen bonded the length of the chain. Two distinctly different metal coordination environments exist in the polymer, viz. distorted tetrahedral and trigonal geometries.