Synthesis and aggregation behaviour of luminescent mesomorphic zinc(II) complexes with 'salen' type asymmetric Schiff base ligands

A new series of photoluminescent Zn(II)-salen type asymmetric Schiff base complexes, [ZnL], H2L = [N,N'-bis-(4-n-alkoxysalicylidene)-1,2-diaminopropane] (n = 12, 14 and 16) have been accessed and their mesomorphic and photophysical properties investigated. Though the ligands are non-mesomorphic, coordination to Zn2+ ion induces liquid crystalline behaviour. The complexes exhibited a lamello-columnar phase (Coll) as characterized by a variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. Intense blue emissions were observed for the complexes at room temperature in solution, in the solid state and in the mesophase. Aggregation properties of the complexes were explored in different solvents through absorption and photoluminescence studies. While de-aggregation to monomers occurred in coordinating solvents due to axial coordination to Zn(II), aggregates were formed in the solution of non-coordinating solvents. Density functional theory (DFT) computation carried out on a representative complex using a GAUSSIAN 09 program at the B3LYP level suggested a distorted square planar geometry. The results of a time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) spectral correlative study showed the electronic properties of the complex molecule to be in compliance with the spectral data.