Synthesis, structures and luminescent properties of metal complexes containing 4-[2-(9-anthryl)vinyl]pyridine

Reactions of the anthracene-containing ligand, 4-[2-(9-anthryl)vinyl]pyridine L1, with various metal complexes of Groups 6, 7 and 12 elements, namely, M(CO)6 (M=Mo, W), M(CO)5Br (M=Mn, Re) and MCl2 (M=Zn, Cd) readily afford new complexes of the stoichiometry M(CO)5(L1) (M=Mo (1); W (2)), M(CO)3Br(L1)2 (M=Mn (3); Re (4)) and MCl2(L1)2 (M=Zn (5); Cd (6)) in moderate to good yields. All of these complexes have been fully characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, UV–vis spectroscopies and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS). The solid-state molecular structures of 1 and 2 have been determined by X-ray crystallography and they involve the coordination of L1 to the {M(CO)5} moiety (M=Mo, W). It was found that all of these anthryl-substituted compounds are luminescent in fluid solutions at room temperature, which is attributed to the metal-perturbed anthracene emission. The emission maxima are red-shifted upon metal coordination and with the metal centers descending down the Group, suggesting some degree of electronic interactions between anthracene and the electron-withdrawing metal unit in each case.