Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in six-coordinated zinc(ii)-quinoxaline complexes with ligand hydrogen bonds: their fluorescent properties sensitive to axial positions.

Zinc(ii)-quinoxaline complexes, [Zn(hqxc)(2)(py)(2)] and [Zn(hqxc)(2)(DMSO)(2)] (hqxc = 3-hydroxy-2-quinoxalinecarboxylate, py = pyridine, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide), were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography and fluorescence spectroscopy. In both complexes, the zinc ion is six-coordinated by two equatorial bidentate hqxc ligands with an intramolecular hydrogen bond and two axial monodentate ligands such as pyridine or DMSO. In spite of similar coordination geometries, there is a remarkable difference between their solid-state fluorescent properties.