Syntheses and photocatalytic performances of four coordination complexes constructed from 1,10-phenanthroline and polycarboxylic acids

Four coordination complexes of copper(II) and iron(II), namely [CuCl(phen)2](5-NO2-Hipa)·2H2O (BUC-10), [Cu(phen)(3,4-H2dczpb)(H2O)]·H2O (BUC-11), [Fe(phen)(L)(H2O)]2 (BUC-12), and [Fe(phen)3](3,4-H3dczpb)2·0.6H2O (BUC-13) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; 5-NO2-H2ipa = 5-nitroisophthalic acid; 3,4-H4dczpb = 3,4-dicarboxyl-(3′,4′-dicarboxylazophenyl) benzene; L = 6,12-dihydroxy-1,2,6,12-tetrahydroindazolo[2,1-a]indazole-1,7-dicarboxylic acid), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. All four complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FTIR, elemental analysis and UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performances of the complexes for decomposition of methylene blue under UV irradiation were also investigated.