Hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of {[Gd(H2O)4(μ2-C6NO2H5)2Gd(H2O)4](μ3-C6NO2H4)2(ZnCl3)2} · 2H2O · 2Cl

A bimetallic 4f-3d tetranuclear complex was synthesized via hydrothermal reaction and structurally characterized. The complex is characteristic of a tetranuclear Gd2Zn2 structure with the gadolinium and zinc atoms interconnected by isonicotinic acid ligands. Photoluminescent investigation shows that the title complex displays an emission in ultraviolet region. Optical absorption spectra reveal the presence of a sharp optical gap of 3.66 eV.