Synthesis, structures, and computational studies of methoxydisubstituted bis(salamo)-type homopolynuclear Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes

Abstract

Centrosymmetric homopolynuclear Cu(II) and Co(II) chelated complexes, [Cu2(L)(H2O)2] (1) and [Co4(L)(μ-OAc)2(CH3OH)4(OAC)2]⋅2CH2Cl2 (2), were synthesized using a new symmetrical methoxy-disubstituted bis(salamo)-type ligand, H4L, with Cu(II) and Co(II) salts in organic solvents. Complexes 1 and 2 were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The results indicated that 1 is a five-coordinate dinuclear structure containing Cu(II) and 2 is a tetranuclear Co(II) complex with two distinct six-coordinate environments. Furthermore, 1 and 2 pack into three-dimensional and two-dimensional extended networks, respectively. The UV–Vis spectra, IR spectra, and Hirshfeld surface analyses of the complexes were carried out to further characterize the coordination between H4L and the metal(II) ions. Fluorescence methods were used to interrogate the coordination, where changes in emission with varied amounts of ligand supported solution-phase coordination ratios of H4L with Cu(II) ion of 1:2 and with Co(II) ion of 1:4, respectively.