Rhenium(V) Complexes with Bidentate N,O-Donor Imidazole Derivatives

The reaction of a two-fold molar excess of the potential N,O-donor ligand 2-(hydroxymethyl)-1-methylimidazole (Hmi) with trans-[ReOCl₃(PPh₃)₂] led to the isolation of cis-[ReOCl₂(mi)(PPh₃)]. An X-ray structure determination indicated that the complex has distorted octahedral geometry, and that mi coordinates as a bidentate with the alcoholate oxygen trans to the oxo group. A similar reaction with 2-(1-ethyloxomethyl)-1-methylimidazole (eomi), the ethyl substituted analogue of Hmi, led to the formation of the oxo-bridged dinuclear complex [(μ-O){ReOCl₂(eomi)₂}₂]. The ligand eomi coordinates as a monodentate via the imidazole nitrogen, with the "hard" ether oxygen uncoordinated. An X-ray crystal structure indicates that the chlorides are trans to each other in the ReN₂Cl₂ planes, which are orthogonal to the O=Re-O-Re=O backbone.