Hydrothermal crystal engineering using hard and soft acids and bases: synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of the metal hydroxide-based phases M3M′2(OH)2[NC5H3(CO2)2-2,4]4(H2O)4 (M = Co, Ni, Zn; M′ = Pd, Pt)

Solvothermal reaction of K2M′Cl4 (M′ = Pd, Pt) with pyridine dicarboxylate and excess base produces isostructural coordination solids in which ‘complex ligands’ containing palladium or platinum coordinate to metal hydroxide chains.