The syntheses, crystal structures and optical limiting effects of transition metal adducts bridged by bipyridyl-based ligands

Two novel compounds [HgI2(bpt)]2 (1) and [MnCl2(bpt)2]n · 2CH3OH (2) (bpt = N,N′-bis(3-pyridylmethyl)thiourea), have been synthesized via the self-assembly reaction in solution. Complex 1 possesses a two–dimensional supramolecular network formed by hydrogen bonds among repeating [HgI2(bpt)]2 dimeric units. Complex 2 is a one-dimensional coordination polymer containing uniform –MnCl2–(bpt)2–MnCl2–(bpt)2– double chain. Their limiting thresholds were determined to be 1.0 J cm−2 for 1 and 0.7 J cm−2 for 2 and the results testified that the skeletal structure and constituted metal nuclearity have a strong impact on the NLO properties of the complexes.