Melanie Dudek, Jack K. Clegg, Christopher R. K. Glasson, Norman Kelly, Kerstin Gloe, Karsten Gloe, Alexandra Kelling, Hans-Jürgen Buschmann, Katrina A. Jolliffe, Leonard F. Lindoy, George V. Meehan

• The interaction of Cu(II) with three beta-diketone ligands of type R(1)C(O)CH(2)C(O)R(2) (where R(1) = 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridyl and R(2) = C(6)H(5), respectively), HL(1)-HL(3), along with the X-ray structures and the pK(a) values of each ligand, are reported. HL(1) yields a dimeric complex of type [Cu(L(1))(2)](2). In this structure, two deprotonated HL(1) ligands coordinate in a trans planar fashion around each Cu(II) center, one oxygen from each CuL(2) unit bridges to an axial site of the second complex unit such that both Cu(II) centers attain equivalent five-coordinate square pyramidal geometries. The two-substituted pyridyl groups in this complex do not coordinate, perhaps reflecting steric factors associated with the closeness of the pyridyl nitrogen to the attached (conjugated) beta-diketonato backbone of each ligand. The remaining two Cu(II) species, derived from HL(2) and HL(3), are both coordination polymers of type [Cu(L)(2)](n) in which the terminal pyridine group of each ligand is intermolecularly linked to an adjacent copperThe interaction of Cu(II) with three beta-diketone ligands of type R(1)C(O)CH(2)C(O)R(2) (where R(1) = 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridyl and R(2) = C(6)H(5), respectively), HL(1)-HL(3), along with the X-ray structures and the pK(a) values of each ligand, are reported. HL(1) yields a dimeric complex of type [Cu(L(1))(2)](2). In this structure, two deprotonated HL(1) ligands coordinate in a trans planar fashion around each Cu(II) center, one oxygen from each CuL(2) unit bridges to an axial site of the second complex unit such that both Cu(II) centers attain equivalent five-coordinate square pyramidal geometries. The two-substituted pyridyl groups in this complex do not coordinate, perhaps reflecting steric factors associated with the closeness of the pyridyl nitrogen to the attached (conjugated) beta-diketonato backbone of each ligand. The remaining two Cu(II) species, derived from HL(2) and HL(3), are both coordination polymers of type [Cu(L)(2)](n) in which the terminal pyridine group of each ligand is intermolecularly linked to an adjacent copper center to generate the respective infinite structures. HL(2) was also demonstrated to form a fibrous metallogel when reacted with CuCl(2) in an acetonitrile/water mixture under defined conditions.…