Synthesis, structures and spectroscopic properties of platinum(II), copper(I) and zinc(II) complexes bearing 4-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligand

The reactions of 4-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)-6-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine (HL) with three metal salts of platinum(II), copper(I) and zinc(II) provide the new complexes [Pt(L)(PPh3)]ClO4 (1), [Cu(HL)2]BF4 (2), [Cu(HL)(PPh3)]BF4 (3) and [Zn(HL)2](ClO4)2 (4). All the structures of these four complexes have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and their spectroscopic properties were investigated. Especially for complex 1, upon protonation, the excited state can be tuned from the intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) to the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), and such switching in the excited state is acid/base reversible. The time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculation was used to interpret the absorption spectra of complex 1, and the calculated result is consistent with those of experiments results. In contrast with 1, the lowest energy absorption at 410–650 nm of complexes 2 and 3 can be assigned to MLCT excited state. In solid state or solution complex 4 exhibits intense photoluminescence attributed to a ILCT transition in nature.