Alkaline earth metal salts of 1-naphthoic acid.

The structures of the Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba salts of 1-naphthoic acid are examined and compared with analogous structures of salts of benzoate derivatives. It is shown that catena-poly[[[diaquabis(1-naphthoato-κO)magnesium(II)]-μ-aqua] dihydrate], {[Mg(C(11)H(7)O(2))(2)(H(2)O)(3)]·2H(2)O}(n), exists as a one-dimensional coordination polymer that propagates only through Mg-OH(2)-Mg interactions along the crystallographic b direction. In contrast with related benzoate salts, the naphthalene systems are large enough to prevent inorganic chain-to-chain interactions, and thus species with inorganic channels rather than layers are formed. The Ca, Sr and Ba salts all have metal centres that lie on a twofold axis (Z' = 1/2) and all have the common name catena-poly[[diaquametal(II)]-bis(μ-1-naphthoato)-κ(3)O,O':O;κ(3)O:O,O'], [M(C(11)H(7)O(2))(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n), where M = Ca, Sr or Ba. The Ca and Sr salts are essentially isostructural, and all three species form one-dimensional coordination polymers through a carboxylate group that forms three M-O bonds. The polymeric chains propagate via c-glide planes and through MOMO four-membered rings. Again, inorganic channel structures are formed rather than layered structures, and the three structures are similar to those found for Ca and Sr salicylates and other substituted benzoates.