Assembly of a Heterotrimetallic Zn₂Dy₂Ir Pentanuclear Complex toward Multifunctional Molecular Materials

Abstract

Rational selection of metal ions and organic ligands to synthesize metal–organic complexes (MOCs) is necessary for constructing multifunctional materials. Herein, we have obtained a novel heterotrimetallic Zn2Dy2Ir pentanuclear MOC by the assembly of DyIII, luminescent ZnII(valpn), and [IrIII(H2L)(ppy)2]Cl metalloligands (Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine, H2L = 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-di-p-benzoic acid). Single-crystal structural analysis shows that the central [IrIII(L)(ppy)2]− bridges two ZnDy moieties using two carboxylates of L2–. Measurements of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) show that the maximum luminance is 284.2 cd/m2 and the turn-on voltage is 6 V. Magnetic studies reveal that Zn2Dy2Ir is a field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM) with an energy barrier of 19.1(2) K under a 2 kOe dc field. Zn2Dy2Ir shows luminescence sensing with a quenching efficiency of up to 99.0% for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP).