Schiff base and azido coordinated di-/poly-nuclear cadmium(II) complexes: Crystal structure, photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and thermal analysis

Abstract

Two Schiff base coordinated cadmium(II) complexes, namely [Cd(H4L1)(N3)2]n (1) and [Cd2(L2)(N3)2]·(H2O) (2) (where H4L1 = 2-((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-propane-1,3-diol; and H2L2 = bis((3-methoxysalicylidene)ethyl)ethylamine), were synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. Both the complexes 1 and 2 crystallize in monoclinic system with space group P 21/n. Complex 1 is a 1D coordination polymer where Cd(H4L1) species are doubly connected by bridging μ-1,1 azide anions. Complex 2 is a discrete dinuclear compound where the double deprotonated Schiff base (L2)2− acts as a two compartmental ligand coordinating two cadmium atoms. Photocatalytic activity of the complexes has been studied using UV–vis absorption spectroscopic technique and the results show that both the complexes are active for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in presence of UV light, and within 180 min MB decomposed by 37.64% and 32.60% in presence of complexes 1 and 2, respectively.