An example of unusual pyridine donor Schiff base uranyl (UO22+) complexes.

The pentadentate coordination environment of a 2,6-bis[1-[(2-hydroxyphenyl)imino]ethyl] pyridine ligand scaffold was designed to accommodate the larger atomic radius of uranium as the uranyl dioxo cation, while fully occupying its equatorial plane. Here, two new uranyl (UO22+) complexes utilizing this scaffold have been synthesized from successive condensation reactions and subsequent metal complexation. Surprising Zn fluorescence is also discussed.