Syntheses, characterization and optical properties of some copper(i) halides with 1,10-phenanthroline ligand

Abstract

The hydrothermal reactions of CuX₂ or CuX with phen (1,10-phenanthroline) have resulted in the syntheses of eight compounds 1–8. In these, 1∶1 adducts of CuX/phen are reported: ionic [Cu(phen)₂][CuX₂] (X = Cl 1, Br 2) and dimer [Cu₂I₂(phen)] 3; the trinuclear clusters [Cu₃X₃(phen)₂] (X = Br 5, I 7) were first prepared and the structures can be best described as 1∶1 adducts of dimers and CuX; the chain compounds 6 and 8 belong to the same series with the formula [CuX₂L] (L = organic ligand), but the chain arrangement is different; the structure of 4 is yet being refined. Compounds 1–8 have a high thermal stability. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of compounds 5, 6 and 8 were investigated and all exhibit a reverse saturable absorption (α₂ > 0) and self-defocusing performance (n₂ < 0).