Two viologen-based crystalline photoactive complexes constructed by zinc chloride and N-(3-cyanophenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium units: Structural arrangement of donor–acceptor units and photoresponsive characteristics

•Two new photoactive molecular systems are constructed based on the zinc chloride hybrid complexes.•The crystals of 1 and 2 show interesting photoresponsive behaviors under UV–visible light irradiation.•The structure–property relationship of these two photosensitive halometallate hybrid complexes is investigated.

Two new photoinduced electron transfer supramolecular systems based on halometallate hybrid complexes are built by the combination of zinc chloride and N-(3-cyanophenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium functional blocks. Photogenerated radicals and reversible photochromic cycles are observed for these molecular switches. Their photoresponsive characteristics are associated with the structural arrangements of the donor and acceptor units.

Graphical abstractTwo new photoinduced electron transfer supramolecular systems based on halometallate hybrid complexes are built by the combination of zinc chloride and N-(3-cyanophenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium functional blocks. Photogenerated radicals and reversible photochromic cycles are observed for these molecular switches. Their photoresponsive characteristics are associated with the structural arrangement modes of the donor and acceptor units.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide