LAUSR

Abstract Five new metal(II) dicyanamido (dca) complexes with 3-aminopyridine (py-NH2) have been synthesized, catena-[M(μ1,5-dca)2(py-NH2)2] {M = Mn (1), Cu (2), Co (3), Zn (4) and Cd (5)}, and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray and powder diffraction, respectively. The isostructural polymeric 1D complexes feature double µ1,5-bridging dicyanamide ligands and two terminal 3-aminopyridine ligands located in a trans-conformation around the distorted M(II) octahedra, which add extra stability through their involvements in the formation of 3D supramolecular hydrogen bonded systems and the constitution of non-covalent π–π ring-ring interactions along the chain direction. The magnetic properties of complexes 1–3 were studied at variable temperature over the range 2–300 K. Luminescence enhancements upon complexation of dca ligands was observed in 4 and 5.