Structural characterization and photophysical properties of a luminescent trinuclear zinc(II) complex exhibiting multiple coordination geometries

A luminescent trinuclear zinc(II) complex, tris(-2,3-toluenedithiolato)-1:2²S¹;1:2²S¹, 2:3²S²;3S², 1:3²S³;3S³-bis(2,2-bypyridine)-1²N,N,2²N,N-trizinc, containing 3,4-dimercaptotoluene (tdt) and 2,2-bipyridine (bpy) has been synthesized and found to have the trinuclear formulation Zn₃(tdt)₃(bpy)₂ (I). The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a = 11.7247(12), b = 20.134(2), c = 17.7376(18) Å and = 103.743(2). The complex has two heteroleptic zinc(II) centers exhibiting similar distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometries with the third homoleptic zinc(II) center displaying a flattened tetrahedral geometry. Present in the solid state are both intra- and intermolecular – interactions. The complex is emissive at 77 K in the solid state with an emission maximum at 574± 2 nm with a luminescence lifetime of 7.4± 0.4 ns. The unstructured emission is assigned as a metal-mediated ligand-to-ligand –^* charge transfer transition.