A new type of multifunctional single ionic dysprosium complex based on chiral salen-type Schiff base ligand

•Dy(III) coordinating with all N and O atoms of salen-type Schiff-base ligands.•Dy(III) acts as central metal and catalyst to partially decompose ligand L.•DyL exhibits good SHG, ferroelectric and luminescent properties.

A new type of multifunctional single ionic chiral dysprosium complex (DyL) was obtained by the reaction of Dy(NO3)3 and salen-type Schiff base ligand N,N′-bis(3,5-dichlorosalicylidene)-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexylenediamine. In the synthesis reaction, Dy(III) was found not only to be the central metal to coordinate with two Schiff base ligands, but also the Lewis acid catalyst to promote the partial decomposition of salen-type Schiff base ligand. Complex DyL crystallizes in a chiral and polar space group P21. The central metal Dy(III) adopts eight-coordinated square antiprism geometry with Δ absolute configuration. Complex DyL exhibits good SHG and ferroelectric properties. The single-crystal sample of DyL displays an obvious ferroelectric behavior with a remnant polarization (Pr) of ca. 4.51 μC cm−2 and Ec of ca. 28.11 kV cm−1. The solid luminescent spectrum of DyL presents characteristic emission 4F9/2 → 6H15/2 and 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 transitions of Dy(III).

Graphical abstractA new type of multifunctional single ionic Dy(III) complex (DyL) was obtained by the reaction of Dy(NO3)3 and N,N′-bis(3,5-dichlorosalicylidene)-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexylenediamine. DyL exhibits SHG, ferroelectric properties and characteristic emission of Dy(III).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide