CuCN Pillars Induce Face-to-Face π-Overlap of Anthracene-Based Thioether Molecules within a Hybrid Coordination Network

The large aromatic ligand 9,10-bis{[3,4-bis(methylthio)phenyl]ethynyl}anthracene (L) interacts with CuCN to form a 2D, fluorescent hybrid network, L·2CuCN. Although the edge-to-face stacking between the organic π-electron systems prevails in the molecular crystal structure of L, the face-to-face stacking becomes more distinct in L·2CuCN. A preliminary survey on similar hybrid networks in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) suggests that 1D inorganic moieties may help maintain and induce cofacial stacking of the associated aromatic ligands.