Many factors, such as temperature, solvent, the central metal atom and the type of coligands, may affect the nature of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and the framework formation in the self-assembly process, which results in the complexity of these compounds and the uncertainty of their structures. Two new isomeric ZnII metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on mixed ligands, namely, poly[[μ-1,5-bis(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)pentane-κ2N3:N3'](μ-5-methylisophthalato-κ2O1:O3)zinc(II)], [Zn(C9H6O4)(C13H20N4)]n, (I), and poly[[μ-1,5-bis(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)pentane-κ2N3:N3'](μ3-5-methylisophthalato-κ3O1:O1':O3)(μ3-5-methylisophthalato-κ4O1:O1':O3,O3')dizinc(II)], [Zn2(C9H6O4)2(C13H20N4)]n, (II), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Complex (I) displays a two-dimensional layer net, while complex (II) exhibits a twofold interpenetrating three-dimensional framework. Both complexes show high stability and good fluorescence in the solid state at room temperature.
Keywords: 1,5-bis(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)pentane; 5-methylisophthalate; MOF; crystal structure; fluorescence; metal–organic frameworks; network topology.