Nine new coordination polymers [Mn(L)(OX)] (1), [Zn(L)(MBDC)] (2), [Zn(L)(BPDA)] (3), [Co3(L)2(BTA)2]·2H2O (4), [Co2(L)2(BTCA)]·2H2O (5), [Ni(L)(e,a-cis-1,2-CHDC)]·2H2O (6), [Co(L)(e,a-cis-1,4-CHDC)] (7), [Co(L)(e,e-trans-1,4-CHDC)]·2H2O (8) and [Co(L)(e,e,e-cis-1,3,5-HCHTC)]·0.45H2O (9) were obtained by reactions of varied metal salts with 1,4-di(1H-imidazol-4-yl)benzene (L) in the presence of corresponding auxiliary ligands of oxalic acid (H2OX), 5-methyl-1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2MBDC), 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid (H2BPDA), benzene-1,3,5-triacetic acid (H3BTA), 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (H4BTCA), cis-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (cis-1,2-H2CHDC), cis-/trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (cis-/trans-1,4-H2CHDC) and cis-1,3,5-cyclohexane tricarboxylic acid (cis-1,3,5-H3CHTC), respectively. Complex 1 has a one-dimensional (1D) chain structure and 2 has a two-dimensional (2D) network with 63-hcb topology. Complex 3 is a complicated uninodal 4-connected three-dimensional (3D) net with Point (Schläfli) symbol (4·6·83·10)(4·63·82)(63·103)(64·82) while 4 is a (3,8)-connected tfz-d 3D net with Point (Schläfli) symbol (43)2(46·618·84) based on the trinuclear Co(II) secondary building units (SBUs). Complex 5 is a 3-fold interpenetrating mog net with Point (Schläfli) symbol of (4·64·8)2(42·62·82), while 6 is a 2D net with (4,4) topology based on binuclear SBUs. In contrast to the 2D network of 7 with e,a-cis-1,4-CHDC2−, 8 with e,e-trans-1,4-CHDC2− is a 5-fold interpenetrating 66-dia 3D net. Complex 9 has a 1D ladder-like chain structure with a stable conformation from the e,e,e-cis-1,3,5-HCHTC2− ligand. Complexes 2 and 3 exhibit intense light blue emission in the solid state at room temperature and the results of magnetic measurements showed that there are antiferromagnetic interactions in 1.
