Luminescent Coordination Polymers Based on Self‐Assembled Cadmium Dipyrrin Complexes

A series of novel Cd^II complexes based on α,β‐unsubstituted dipyrrin ligands (dpm) has been prepared and characterised both in solution and in the solid state. These compounds are of the [Cd(dpm)₂] type, with the coordination sphere of the metal centre occupied by two dpm chelates. Interestingly, in contrast to what has been reported for the Zn^II analogues, in the presence of a pyridyl‐ or imidazolyl‐appended dpm ligand, the coordination number of the Cd^II cation can be increased to six, leading to an octahedral coordination sphere. As a consequence, the formation of 1‐, 2‐, and 3D coordination polymers by self‐assembly is observed. Photophysical investigations of the discrete complexes and self‐assembled networks have demonstrated that both types of compounds are luminescent in the solid state.