Entangled Coordination Networks with Inherent Features of Polycatenation, Polythreading, and Polyknotting

Caught in a net: Self-assembly of nickel salts with 4,4′-bipyridine and the long V-shaped 4,4′-oxybis(benzoate) ligand has led to three different coordination networks: a parallel polycatenation of nanotube motifs to give a layered framework (see picture), a 2D→3D polythreaded array involving five polymeric units at a time, and a 3D self-penetrating binodal network with an unprecedented (4.82)(4.64.84.10) topology.