Syntheses, characterization, X-ray crystal structures and emission properties of copper(II), zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes of pyridyl–pyrazole derived Schiff base ligand – Metal selective ligand binding modes

The varying coordination modes of the title ligand, L [5-methyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl)-N′-[pyridin-2-ylmethylidene]pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide] towards the different metal centers is reported by preparation and characterization of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes, [Cu(L)NO3.H2O](NO3) (1) [Zn(L)2](ClO4)2·2DMF (2) and [Cd(L)(I)2] (3) respectively. In 1, the neutral ligand serves as tetradentate 4 N donor where both pyridine and pyrazole nitrogen atoms of pyridyl–pyrazole part are coordinatively active, leaving the carbonyl oxygen of the carbohydrazide part inactive. The same pyridine and pyrazole N atoms remain abstained from the coordination process towards the Zn(II) and Cd(II) metal centers. For 2 and 3 the ligand behaves as a tridentate NNO donor where the two nitrogen atoms come from azomethine, pyridine of pyridine-2-carbaldehyde parts and O from carbonyl oxygen atoms (carbohydrazide part). The complex 1 and 2 are distorted octahedral while complex 3 adopts distorted square pyramidal geometry. All the complexes are X-ray crystallographically characterized.

Graphical abstractMetal selective different coordination modes of the newly synthesized and characterized neutral ligand L towards Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) metal centers are reported in this paper. The ligand uses its four N donor centers for Cu(II) ion, while the same ligand binds Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions through azomethine nitrogen, pyridine nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen keeping the pyridyl–pyrazole part inactive in the process. All the complexes are characterized by X-ray crystallography. The photoluminescence properties of the ligand L and all the three complexes have been studied.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide