Spectroscopic studies on polymeric cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes with bridging succinonitrile and succinonitrile isotopomer ligands

A series of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes were synthesized using succinonitrile and its [1,4-13C2], [15N2]-, [2,2,3,3-2H4]- and [1,4-13C,-2,2,3,3-2H4]- isotopomers as bridging ligands. Spectroscopic studies, as well as X-ray powder diffraction profiles, were used to identify the nature of the octahedral coordination sphere of the central metal ions and to assign the vibrational spectra in full detail. The succinonitrile ligands were found to be in trans configuration in all the complexes studied and to be coordinated via the lone pairs of their nitrile nitrogens. The rule of mutual exclusion was found to be fulfilled for the succinonitrile ligands under the Ci symmetry of the complexes and the vibrations of the succinonitrile ligands were found to appear in either the infrared or the Raman spectra. All succinonitrile isotopomers exhibited blue-shifts of 43-71 cm(-1) upon coordination, while most of the other vibrations remained unchanged or underwent small shifts of only a few wavenumbers. The mass differences of the succinonitrile isotopomers were found to shift mainly the vibrations of the respective affected part of the molecules in comparison with the normal succinonitrile. The exchange of the halides, which are coordinated to the central metal ion, was also found to influence the vibrations of the associated water molecules and we could identify vibrational bands arising due to the H-bond interaction between the halides and the water molecules. Finally, we showed that all complexes under consideration have, spectroscopically, the same symmetry.