Syntheses, crystal structures, and fluorescence properties of Zinc(II) complexes with multi-dentate Schiff bases

Two new structurally similar mononuclear Schiff base zinc(II) complexes, [ZnBr(ClMP)] (I) and [ZnCl(NMP)] (II) (ClMP = 4-chloro-2-[(3-morpholin-4-ylpropylimino)methyl]phenolate; NMP = 4-nitro-2-[(3-morpholin-4-ylpropylimino)methyl]phenolate), and two new dinuclear Schiff base zinc(II) complexes, [Zn2(EMP)2I2] (III), and [Zn2(MPA)(CH3OH)2(N3)2] (IV) (EMP = 5-diethylamino-2-[(2-dimethylaminoethylimino)methyl]phenolate; MPA = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)propane-1,3-diamine), have been prepared and characterized mainly by single-cyrstal X-ray diffraction. Complex I crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with unit cell dimensions: a = 15.116(3), b = 9.465(1), c = 23.714(4) Å, β = 104.358(2)°, V = 3286.9(8) Å3, Z = 8, R1 = 0.0439, and wR2 = 0.0736. Complex II crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with unit cell dimensions: a = 7.253(2), b = 16.652(4), c = 13.568(3) Å, β = 96.600(2)°, V = 1627.8(6) Å3, Z = 4, R1 = 0.0417, and wR2 = 0.0809. Complex III crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell dimensions: a = 27.962(2), b = 8.246(2), c = 31.605(3) Å, β = 90.343(2)°, V = 7287.4(15) Å3, Z = 8, R1 = 0.0721, and wR2 = 0.1709. Complex IV crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell dimensions: a = 20.483(3), b = 11.344(2), c = 14.909(3) Å, β = 131.650(1)°, V = 2588.6(7) Å3, Z = 4, R1 = 0.0343, and wR2 = 0.0792. Each Zn atom in I and II are four-coordinated in a tetrahedral geometry by the NNO donor set of the Schiff base ligand and one halide atom. The Zn atoms in III are in square pyramidal coordination, and those in IV are in octahedral and tetrahedral coordination. Thermal stability and fluorescence properties of the complexes I and II have also been determined.