A yellow-green tetranuclear Cd(II) (8-quinolinolato) chelate with thiophene group: synthesis, crystal structure, photophysical properties and DNA binding

Abstract One novel tetranuclear Cd(II) complex with formula [Cd 4 L 6 (NO 3 ) 2 ] ( 1 ) is accessible by solvothermal reaction of Cd(NO 3 ) 2 with a ( E )-2-[2-(3-thienyl)ethenyl]-8-quinolinol ligand ( HL ), which was characterized by means of 1 H NMR, ESI-MS, elemental analysis, IR and TGA. X-ray structural analysis indicated that 1 exhibited a double open cubane-like core structure, which was bridged by six 8-hydroxyquinolinate-based ligand. Rich aromatic stacking interactions and non-classical C–H···O weak interactions sustain the packing structure. The coordination behavior of cadmium salt and HL in solutions was performed by UV–vis and photoluminescence (PL). The experimental results corroborate that emission spectrum of the title complex in the solid state at room temperature gives strong yellow-green luminescence. In addition, the thermal stability, fluorescent lifetime, electronic calculation and quenching behaviors of C 60 and EtBr-DNA interacted with the compound were also investigated.