Herringbone infinite networks formed by terpyridine and haloperfluoroarene modules

4'-(4-Methylphenyl)-2,2':6',2 "- terpyridine (1) self-assembles with dihaloperfluoroarenes (2). A chemo- and site-selective supramolecular synthesis occurs which preserves in the solid cocrystal the most stable s-trans, s-trans conformation of the pure terpyridine module. The single crystal X-ray structure of 3a, prepared from 1 and 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (2a) (monoclinic, a=14.608(1), b=13.276(1), c=13.970(2) Angstrom, beta =109.808(8)degrees, U=2549.4 (4) Angstrom (3) T= 291 (1) K, space group C2/c Z = 4; mu (Mo-K alpha) = 2.519 mm(-1); d(calc): 1.890 g cm(-3) ; 5748 reflections measured, 3715 unique (R-int = 0.024) which were used in all calculations; the final R and wR (F-2) were 0.043 and 0.069, respectively) shows the presence of infinite ribbons where the two modules alternate in a zigzag arrangement.