Synthesis and luminescence of polymeric metal complexes based on 1,10-phenanthroline and 8-hydroxyquinoline

A ligand containing different coordination groups, 5-([1,10]phenanthroline-[4,5-f]imidazo-2-yl)-8-hydroxyquinoline (PhenI8Q) has been synthesized and two corresponding polymeric metal complexes Cu(II) (1) and Zn(II) (2) were prepared by coordination polymerization of the ligand with copper(II) and zinc(II) halides, respectively. The ligand was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and its corresponding polymeric metal complexes 1 and 2 were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, and conductivity measurements. The absorption spectra and luminescence of the ligand, 1, and 2 were investigated by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy at room temperature. Compared with the ligand, the fluorescence spectra of the polymeric metal complexes exhibit blue shifts in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution and bathochromic shifts in the solid state. Complexes 1 and 2 emit blue light with emission maximum (λ f max) at 449 and 431 nm in DMSO soluti...