Synthesis, characterization, luminescence, antibacterial, and catalytic activities of a palladium(II) complex involving a Schiff base

De-Yun Maab*, Le-Xin Zhanga, Xuan-Ye Raoa, Tong-Liang Wua, Dong-Hao Lia & Xiao-Qun Xiea a School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Zhaoqing University , Zhaoqing , P.R. China b The Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou , P.R. China * E-mail: mady@zqu.edu.cn A new Pd(II) complex of fluorine-containing Schiff base ligand, [Pd2(L)2Cl2] (1) [L = N-(4-fluorobenzylidene)-2,6-diethylbenzenamine], has been synthesized using solvothermal method and characterized by elemental analysis, IR-spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, UV–vis absorption spectra, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is a μ-chloro-bridged dinuclear cyclometallated Pd(II) complex. Thermal analysis indicates that 1 is quite stable to heat. 1 exhibits quadruple emissions in the solid state (λ max = 766 nm) and possesses fluorescence lifetimes (τ 1 = 87.20 ns, τ 2 = 190.45 ns, and τ 3 = 1805.10 ns at 616 nm); broad structureless bands at 690–800 nm are tentatively assigned to an excimeric 3IL transition. The Schiff base (L) and its palladium(II) compound (1) have been screened for their antibacterial activity against several bacteria, and the results are compared with the activity of penicillin. Moreover, 1 has been shown to be highly effective in the Heck reaction of 4-bromotoluene with acrylic acid.