Hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of {[Gd(H2O)4(μ2-C6NO2H5)2Gd(H2O)4](μ3-C6NO2H4)2(ZnCl3)2} · 2H2O · 2Cl

A bimetallic 4f–3d tetranuclear complex {[Gd(H2O)4(μ2-C6NO2H5)2Gd(H2O)4](μ3-C6NO2H4)2(ZnCl3)2} · 2H2O · 2Cl (1) has been synthesized via hydrothermal reaction and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is characterized by a tetranuclear Gd2Zn2 structure with the gadolinium and zinc atoms interconnected by isonicotinic acid ligands. The tetranuclear species of {[Gd(H2O)4(μ2-C6NO2H5)2Gd(H2O)4](μ3-C6NO2H4)2(ZnCl3)2} link to isolated chlorine ions and water molecules via π⋯π interactions and hydrogen bonds to yield a 3-D supramolecular framework. Photoluminescent investigation reveals that the title complex displays an emission in ultraviolet region. The solid-state diffuse reflectance spectra of 1 reveal the presence of a sharp optical gap of 3.66 eV.