Temperature-dependent self-assembly of near-infrared (NIR) luminescent Zn2Ln and Zn2Ln3 (Ln=Nd, Yb or Er) complexes from the flexible Salen-type Schiff-base ligand.

Through the self-assembly of the precursor [Zn(L)(MeCN)] (H2L=N,N'-bis(3-methoxy-salicylidene)cyclohexane-1,2-diamine) with LnCl3·6H2O (Ln=La, Nd, Yb, Er or Gd) and NaN3 in alcohol-containing solutions, two series of mixed anions-induced Zn2Ln-arrayed complexes [Zn2(L)2(MeOH)ClLn(N3)]·Cl (Ln=La, 1; Ln=Nd, 2; Ln=Yb, 3; Ln=Er, 4 or Ln=Gd, 5) and Zn2Ln3-arrayed complexes [Zn2(L)3Cl2(μ2-OH)(μ3-OH)2Ln3(N3)2] (Ln=La, 6; Ln=Nd, 7; Ln=Yb, 8; Ln=Er, 9 or Ln=Gd, 10) are obtained at room temperature or under reflux, respectively. In contrast to Zn2Ln-arrayed complexes with the two Zn2+ ions in the inner cis-N2O2 cores and one Ln3+ ion in the outer O2O2 moieties, the demetalation of partial precursors leads to the selective exchange of Zn2+ centers for the Ln3+ ions for the formation of novel heterometallic Zn2Ln3-arrayed complexes with the Ln3+ ions in both the inner cis-N2O2 core and the outer O2O2 moieties of the ligands. The result of their photophysical properties shows that the characteristic near-infrared (NIR) luminescence of Nd3+ or Yb3+ ion has been sensitized from the excited state (both 1LC and 3LC) of the ligand H2L, while relatively lower quantum yields for Zn2Ln3-arrayed complexes than those for Zn2Ln-arrayed complexes, correspondingly, should be due to the luminescent quenching with the involvement of OH- oscillators around the Ln3+ ions.