Syntheses, structures and bioactivities of silver(I) complexes with dithioether ligands that contain a di- or triethylene glycol chain and different terminal groups

► Four flexible dithioethyl ligands were designed and synthesized. ► Different (CH2CH2O)n spacers and terminal groups lead to geometrical changes in Ag(I) complexes with four ligands. ► The complexes show different inhibitory effects to the growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum.