The structures, photoluminescence and photocatalytic properties of two types of iodocuprate hybrids

Abstract Two new copper(I)-iodide clusters driven by 3,5-bis(imidazole-1-yl)pyridine (bip), [(H 2 bip) 2 Cu 5 I 9 ] ( 1 ) and [H 2 bip] 2 [Cu 3 I 7 ] ( 2 ), have been prepared via modulating organic/inorganic ratio at room temperature. Compound 1 presents a zero-dimensional structure constituting of [Cu 4 I 8 ] 4− and [(H 2 bip) 2 CuI 2 ] 3+ two different subunits. Compound 2 features a discrete [Cu 3 I 7 ] 4− anionic cluster, which is the first isolated iodocuprate cluster with protonated bip as structure-directing agent (SDA). The structural diversity of 1 and 2 mainly stems from the distinct role of bip during the crystallization. Meanwhile, the reaction ratio here also plays an essential role on the fabrication of two structures. The solid-state luminescence bands of 1 and 2 have been investigated between 499 and 78 K. Both of them exhibit yellow luminescence, and their intensities increase gradually upon cooling. What is more, photocatalytic properties of 1 and 2 are investigated.