Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a class of porous organic-inorganic
hybrid materials with potential applications in gas storage and/or separation, catalysis,
controled drug release and absorption of pollutants.1 Nitrogen containing heterocycles, such
as the tetrazole ring or the imidazole ring (present in Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-ZIFs)
are often used in the synthesis of MOFs.2,3
Here we present the synthesis and characterization of three polydentate ligands, one
containing an imidazole ring (structure 1) and two containing a tetrazole ring (structures 2 and
3). The synthesis of 1 involved the Ullmann coupling of 1,4-diiodobenzene with imidazole,
followed by the Suzuki coupling of the reaction product with 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid.
Ligand 2 involved the synthesis of 4’-iodobiphenyl-4-carboxilic acid, followed by its
coupling with copper cyanide and cyclization of the resulting nitrile. Compound 3 was
synthesized by a Suzuki coupling of 3-bromobenzonitrile with 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid
and cyclization of the reaction product to the corresponding tetrazole.
All three products were characterized by proton and carbon NMR spectroscopy and
will further be used in the synthesis of MOFs.

Acknoledgement: This research was supported by the grant „Novel porous coordination polymers with organic
linkers of variable size for gas storage” (POCPOLIG), ID P_37_707, MySMIS code 104810, funding contract
67/8.09.2016.
1 C. Janiak, J.K. Vieth; New J. Chem.; 34, 2366-2388 (2010)
2 K.S. Park, Z. Ni, A.P. Cote, J.Y. Choi, R. Huang, F.J. Uribe-Romo, H.K. Chae, M. O’Keeffe, O.M. Yaghi;
PNAS; 103, 10186-10191 (2006)
3 S. Jeong, X. Song, S. Jeong, M. Oh, X. Liu, D. Kim, D. Moon, M.S. Lah; Inorg. Chem.; 50, 12133-12140
(2011)