Interdigitation, interpenetration and intercalation in layered cuprous tricyanomethanide derivatives

Reaction of Cu-I, tricyanomethanide (tcm(-), C(CN)(3)(-)) and L=either hexa methylenetetramine (hmt), 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy) or 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethen e (bpe) gives crystals of [Cu(tcm)(hmt)] (1), [Cu(tcm)(bipy)] (2) and [Cu(t cm)(bpe)] 0.25 bpe . 0.5 MeCN (3), respectively. Crystal structure analysis shows 1-3 all contain closely related puckered (4,4) sheets composed of te trahedral Cu-I ions bridged by 2-connecting tcm(-) and L. The crystal packi ng, however, varies markedly with L. In 1 the sheets interdigitate in pairs . In 2 the sheets participate in parallel interpenetration in pairs. In 3 g uest bpe and MeCN molecules are intercalated in channels formed by the stac king of the sheets.