Fluorescent sensing and electrocatalytic properties of three Zn(II)/Co(II) coordination complexes containing two different dicarboxylates and two various bis(pyridyl)-bis(amide) ligands

•Three Zn(II)/Co(II) complexes based on two bis(pyridyl)-bis(amide) are synthesized.•Complexes 1–3 exhibit 1D ladder-like chain or 2D layered structures, respectively.•The 2D or 3D supramolecular networks of 1–3 are formed by the hydrogen bonding interactions.•The fluorescent properties of 1–3 and electrochemical behavior of 3 have been studied.

Three new transition metal(II) coordination complexes constructed from two different dicarboxylates (1,3-H2BDC = 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-H2NDC = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) and two bis(pyridyl)-bis(amide) ligands (3-bpcd = N,N′-bis(3-pyridyl)cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxamide, 3-bpod = N,N′-bis(3-pyridyl)octandiamide), [Zn(1,3-BDC)(3-bpcd)0.5(H2O)]·H2O (1), [Zn(1,3-BDC)(3-bpod)0.5(H2O)] (2) and [Co(1,4-NDC)(3-bpod)1.5(H2O)] (3) have been synthesized in the hydrothermal environments and structurally characterized by IR, TG and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 2 possess the similar 1D ladder-like chain based on [Zn(1,3-BDC)]n zigzag chain and the bidentate ligands 3-bpcd/or 3-bpod. Complex 3 shows a 2D layered structure with a 5-connected {410} topology, which consists of 1D linear [Co(1,4-NDC)]n chain and [Co(3-bpod)1.5]n chain with alternating arrangement of 3-bpod ligands and Co2(3-bpod)2 dinuclear loops. The adjacent 1D chains for 1–2 or the 2D layers for 3 are further extended into 2D or 3D supramolecular frameworks through the hydrogen bonding interactions. Additionally, the solid state fluorescent properties for the title complexes 1–3, the fluorescent sensing behaviors of complexes 1–2 and the electrochemical behaviour of complex 3 have been investigated.

Graphical abstractThree Zn(II)/Co(II) coordination complexes constructed from two different bis(pyridyl)-bis(amide) ligands and two aromatic polycarboxylates have been hydrothermally synthesized, which exhibit the diverse coordination networks: 1D ladder-like chain for 1–2 and 2D layer for 3. The solid state fluorescent properties for the title complexes 1–3, the fluorescent sensing behaviors of complexes 1–2 and the electrochemical behaviour of complex 3 have been studied.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide