The heterometallic one-dimensional solvated coordination polymer [NiPt(2)Cl(6)(TRIP-Py)(4)]( n )

The ditopic ligand 10-[4-(pyridin-4-yl)phen­yl]-9-phospha-10-silatriptycene (TRIP-Py, C(29)H(20)NPSi) binds as a pyridine donor to Ni(II) and as a phosphatriptycene donor towards Pt(II). The selectivity relies entirely on the Pearson character of the donor sites and the matching hardness of the respective metal cations. The product is the one-dimensional coordination polymer catena-poly[[[di­chlorido­nickel(II)]-bis­{μ-10-[4-(pyridin-4-yl)phen­yl]-9-phospha-10-silatrip­tycene}-bis­[di­chlorido­platinum(II)]-bis­{μ-10-[4-(pyridin-4-yl)phen­yl]-9-phospha-10-sila­trip­tycene}] di­chloro­methane penta­solvate ethanol icosa­solvate], {[NiPt(2)Cl(6)(TRIP-Py)(4)]·5CH(2)Cl(2)·20EtOH}( n ) (1), which retains large pores due to the in­herent rigidity of the ligand. This is enabled by the caged triptycene scaffold which fixes the direction of the phospho­rus donor with respect to the remaining mol­ecule and especially the pyridyl moiety. In its crystal structure, which was determined from synchrotron data, the pores of the polymer are filled with di­chloro­methane and ethanol mol­ecules. Finding a suitable model for the pore content is com­plicated as it is too disordered to give a reasonable atomic model but too ordered to be described by an electron gas solvent mask. This article presents an in-depth description of this polymer, as well as a discussion on the use of the bypass algorithm for solvent masks.