Mononuclear, trinuclear, and hetero-trinuclear supramolecular complexes containing a new tri-sulfonate ligand and cobalt(II)/copper(II)-(1, 10-phenanthroline)(2) building blocks

Novel mononuclear, trinuclear, and hetero-trinuclear supermolecular complexes, [Co(phen)(2)(H2O)(HTST)] center dot 2H(2)O (1), [CO3(phen)(6) (H2O)(2)(TST)(2)]center dot 7H(2)O (2), and [CO2Cu(phen)(6)(H2O)(2)(TST)(2)]center dot 10H(2)O (3), have been synthesized by the reactions of a new tri-sulfonate ligand (2,4,6-tris(4-sulfophenylamino)- 1,3,5-triazine, H3TST) with the M2+ (M = Co, Cu) and the second ligand 1, 10-phenanthroline (phen). Complex 1 contains a cis-Co(II)(phen)(2) building block and an HTST as monodentate ligand; complex 2 consists of two TST as bidentate ligands connecting one trans- and two cis-Co(II)(phen)(2) building blocks; complex 3 is formed by replacing the transCo(II)(phen)(2) in 2 with a trans-Cu(II)(phen)(2), which is the first reported hetero-trinuclear supramolecular complex containing both the Co(II)(phen)(2) and Cu(II)(phen)(2) as building blocks. The study shows the flexible multifunctional self-assembly capability of the H3TST ligands presenting in these supramolecular complexes through coordinative, H-bonding and even pi-pi stacking interactions. The photo luminescent optical properties of these complexes are also investigated and discussed as well as the second-order nonlinear optical properties of 1. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.