Diorgano-gallium and -indium complexes with N-heterocyclic carboxylic acids: Synthesis, characterization and structures of [Me2M(O2C-C5H4N)]2, M = Ga or In

The reaction of triorgano-gallium and -indium etherate with heterocyclic carboxylic acids in benzene at room temperature yields complexes of the type [R₂M(L)]_n(M = Ga or In; R = Me or Et; L = 2-(C₅H₄N)CO₂, 2-(C₄H₃N₂)CO₂ or 2-(C₉H₆N)CO₂). These complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, NMR (¹H and ¹³C{¹H}) and mass spectral data. Complexes with L = (C₅H₄N)CO₂- and (C₉H₆N)CO₂- showed photoluminescence on excitation with ∼250 or ∼310 nm radiation, respectively. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis of [Me₂M(O₂C-C₅H₄N-2)]₂ (M = Ga or In), revealed a dimeric structure with five-coordinate metal atoms arising from the presence of two tridentate bridging picolinate ligands.