Self-assembly of Zn(salphen) complexes: Steric regulation, stability studies and crystallographic analysis revealing an unexpected dimeric 3,3’-t-Bu-substituted Zn(salphen) complex

The self-assembly features of a series of (non)symmetrical Zn(salphen) complexes have been studied in detail by X-ray crystallography, NMR and UV-vis techniques. The combined data demonstrate that the stability of these dimeric assemblies and the relative position of each monomeric unit within the dinuclear structure depend on the location and combination of the aromatic ring substituents.