Frontier Advances of Terpyridine–Zn(II) Complexes: From Molecular Design to Smart Functional Materials

As one of the most important pincer coordination molecules, terpyridine (Tpy) metal complexes have emerged as a vibrant research frontier in coordination chemistry, catalysis and materials science due to their unique chelation versatility and modular structural tunability. In particular, Tpy-Zn complexes exhibit exceptional photochemical and photophysical characteristics, low toxicity, and self-assembly propensity, making them a novel and versatile platform for functional material design. This review comprehensively summarizes the design strategies of various Tpy-Zn complexes and their corresponding materials, including discrete molecular complexes, supramolecular assemblies (e.g., gels, metal organic frameworks, cages) and their composites, while highlighting their recent advances in three key domains: (1) visual molecular recognition and sensing, (2) stimuli-responsive smart functional materials, and (3) photocatalytic organic transformations. Additionally, remaining synthetic obstacles, unresolved controversies in structure-property relationships, and future perspectives for the development of novel Tpy-Zn complexes are thoroughly discussed. This review aims to establish a rational design paradigm for next-generation Tpy-Zn-based functional materials, thereby providing in-depth mechanistic insights and sparking their innovative applications functional materials science.