1,3,5,7-Tetrakis(tetrazol-5-yl)-adamantane: the smallest tetrahedral tetrazole-functionalized ligand and its complexes formed by reaction with anhydrous M(II)Cl2 (M = Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd).

1,3,5,7-Tetrakis(tetrazol-5-yl)-adamantane (H4L) was probed as a building block for the synthesis of tetrazolato/halido coordination polymers with open-network structures. MCl2 (M = Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn) was reacted with H4L in DMF at 70 °C to yield [Cu4Cl4L(DMF)5]·DMF, ; [Cd4Cl4L(DMF)7]·DMF, ; [Zn3Cl2L(DMF)4]·2DMF, and [Mn2L(DMF)2(MeOH)4]·DMF·2MeOH·2H2O, . and (Fddd) are nearly isostructural and have zeolitic structures with a {4(3)·6(2)·8}, gis or gismondine underlying net, where the role of the tetrahedral nodes is served by the coordination bonded clusters and the adamantane moiety. (P21/n) has a porous structure composed of coordination bonded layers with a (4·8(2)) fes topology joined via trans-{Zn(tetrazolate)2(DMF)4} pillars with an overall topology of {4·6(2)}{4·6(6)·8(3)}, fsc-3,5-Cmce-2. (Pca21) is composed of stacked {Mn2L} hexagonal networks. In and the ligand fulfills a symmetric role of a tetrahedral building block, while in and it fulfills rather a role of an effective trigonal unit. Methanol-exchanged and activated displayed an unusual type IV isotherm with H2 type hysteresis for N2 sorption with an expected uptake at high P/P0, but with a smaller SBET = 505.5 m(2) g(-1) compared to the calculated 1789 m(2) g(-1), which is a possible result of the framework's flexibility. For H2 sorption 0.79 wt% (1 bar, 77 K) and 0.06 wt% (1 bar, RT) uptake and Qst = -7.2 kJ mol(-1) heat of adsorption (77 K) were recorded. Weak antiferromagnetic interactions were found in and with J1 = -9.60(1), J2 = -17.2(2), J3 = -2.28(10) cm(-1) and J = -0.76 cm(-1) respectively. The formation of zeolitic structures in and , the concept of structural 'imprinting' of rigid building blocks, and design opportunities suggested as a potential hexafunctionalized biadamantane building block.