Construction of a Novel Zn−Ni Trinuclear Schiff Base and a Ni²⁺ Chemosensor

A novel Zn−Ni heterotrinuclear Schiff base compound bearing acacen2− moieties was constructed through the selective assembly of a chemosensor Schiff base zinc compound with a Ni2+ ion. Its crystal structure not only clearly explains the binding mode between the chemosensor molecule and the detected metal ion but also represents the first trinuclear complex based on a symmetric acacen2− base Schiff base.