Structures and Fluorescent Properties of Cadmium(II) Complexes with 1D and 2D Structures Based on Tridentate Benzimidazole Ligands

The cadmium(II) complexes CdL1(m‐nba)₂] ( 1 ), CdL1(p‐nba)₂] · C₂H₅OH ( 2 ), CdL2(p‐nba)₂] · CH₃OH ( 3 ), and CdL2(p‐nbat)₂] ( 4 ) containing the ligands L1 and L2 L1 = 2,6‐bis(benzimidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine, L2 = bis(2‐benzimidazolylmethyl)amine] were synthesized and characterized (m‐nba, p‐nba, and p‐nbat are the anions of p‐nitrobenzoic acid, m‐nitrobenzoic acid, and p‐nitrobenzeneacetic acid, respectively). The complexes were investigated by X‐ray single crystal diffraction, elemental analysis as well as IR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Compounds 1 – 3 contain a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal coordination sphere with Cd^II coordinated by two carboxylate ligands in bidentate‐chelating mode, whereas complex 4 exhibits a distorted octahedral arrangement with one carboxylate ligand in bidentate‐chelating and the other in monodentate coordination mode. 1 and 2 form a 1D chain interplayed by hydrogen bonding and strong π–π stacking interactions. 3 and 4 vary from 1D chain into 2D single‐layer and double‐layer networks because of more extensive hydrogen bonding interactions. The complexes show emission maxima in the blue region in the solid state and emission bands are red‐shifted compared to those of the free ligands.