Syntheses, Structures and Spectral Properties of Mononuclear CuII and Dimeric ZnII Complexes Based on an Asymmetric Salamo‐type N2O2 Ligand

Abstract

AbstractThe asymmetric Salamo‐type N2O2 ligand H2L and its corresponding CuII and ZnII complexes [CuL] and [{ZnL}2]·2CH3CN were synthesized and structurally characterized. Crystallographic data of the CuII complex revealed that the CuII ion is tetracoordinate with a slightly distorted square planar arrangement forming a 2D supramolecular plane structure by hydrogen bonding and π···π stacking interactions. In the ZnII complex, the ZnII ions are pentacoordinate in N2O2 tetradentate fashion and intermolecular contacts between ZnII and oxygen atoms result in a head‐to‐tail dimer. The ZnII ions were found to have slightly distorted square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal arrangements, respectively. Hydrogen bonding interactions stabilized the ZnII complex to facilitate self‐assembly to a 1D linear chain. The CuII and ZnII complexes show intense photoluminescence with maximum emissions at approx. 426 and 411 nm upon excitation at 360 and 350 nm, respectively.