New type of tin(IV) complex based turn-on fluorescent chemosensor for fluoride ion recognition: elucidating the effect of molecular structure on sensing property

A novel type of chemosensor based on tin(IV) complexes incorporating hydroxyquinoline derivatives has been designed and investigated for selectively detecting fluoride ions. Sn(meq)2Cl2 (meq = 2-methyl-8-quinolinol) (complex 1) exhibits a significant enhancement in luminescence upon the introduction of fluoride ions. This enhancement greatly surpasses that observed with Snq2Cl2 and Sn(dmqo)2Cl2 (q = 8-hydroxyquinnoline; dmqo = 5,7-dimethyl-8-quinolinol). Furthermore, complex 1 displays excellent sensitivity and selectivity for fluoride detection in comparison to halides and other anions. As a result, complex 1 serves as an outstanding turn-on fluorescent chemosensor, effectively sensing fluoride ions. The Benesi-Hilderbrand method and Job's plot confirmed that complex 1 associates with F- in a 1 : 2 binding stoichiometry. Also, complex 1 exhibited a large binding constant (pKb = 10.4 M-2) and a low detection limit (100 nM). To gain a deeper insight into the photophysical properties and the underlying mechanism governing the formation of the tin(IV) fluoride complex via halide exchange, we successfully synthesized partially fluorinated Sn(meq)2F0.67Cl1.33 (2) and fully fluorinated Sn(meq)2F2 (3), all of which were characterized through computational studies, thereby elucidating their photophysical properties. DFT studies reveal that converting Sn(meq)2Cl2 to Sn(meq)2F2, an endergonic process, leads to greater stability due to reducing steric hindrance about the metal center. Furthermore, the fluorinated complex significantly increases dipole moment, resulting in high affinity toward the F- ion.

Copper(II), Zinc(II), and Cadmium(II) Formylbenzoate Complexes: Reactivity and Emission Properties

Synthesis, characterization, reactivity, and sensing properties of 4-formylbenzoate complexes of copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) possessing the 1,10-phenanthroline ancillary ligand are studied. The crystal structures of the (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)(aqua)copper(II) and (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzo-ate)zinc(II) and a novel molecular complex comprising an assembly of mononuclear and dinuclear species of (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)cadmium(II) are reported. These zinc and cadmium complexes are fluorescent; they show differentiable sensitivity to detect three positional isomers of nitroaniline. The mechanism of sensing of nitroanilines by 1,10-phenanthroline and the complexes are studied by fluorescence titrations, photoluminescence decay, and dynamic light scattering. A plausible mechanism showing that 1,10-phenanthroline ligand-based emission quenched by electron transfer from the excited state of 1,10-phenanthroline to nitroaniline is supported by density functional theory calculations. In an anticipation to generate a fluorescent d¹⁰-copper(I) formylbenzoate complex by a mild reducing agent such as hydroxylamine hydrochloride for similar sensing of nitroaromatics as that of the d¹⁰-zinc and cadmium 4-formylbenzoate complexes, reactivity of d⁹-copper(II) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of 4-formylbenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline is studied. It did not provide the expected copper(I) complex but resulted in stoichiometry-dependent reactions of 4-formylbenzoic acid with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of copper(II) acetate and 1,10-phenanthroline. Depending on the stoichiometry of reactants, an inclusion complex of bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) chloride with in situ-formed 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid or copper(II) 4-(hydroxycarbamoyl)benzoate complex was formed. The self-assembly of the inclusion complex has the bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) cation encapsulated in hydrogen-bonded chloride-hydrate assembly with 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid.

Four-coordinated see-sawN-(aryl)-2-(propan-2-ylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide complexes of nickel(ii), copper(ii) and zinc(ii) and their propensity for catalytic cyclisation

Four-coordinated metal complexes of two hydrazinecarbothioamide-derived ligands with divalent nickel, copper and zinc are described and the selective reactivity difference of copper(ii) to cyclise the ligand or to form a complex is described.