Coinage (Cu,Ag) metal derivatives of salicylaldehyde N-ethylthiosemicarbazone: synthesis,spectroscopy, and structures

Reactions of copper(I) halides with triphenyl phosphine in acetonitrile followed by the addition of salicylaldehyde N-ethylthiosemicarbazone {(2-OH–C₆H₄)(H)C²=N³–N²H–C¹(=S)N¹HEt, H₂stsc-NEt} in chloroform in 1?:?2?:?1 (Cl) or 1?:?1?:?1 (Br, I) molar ratios yield mononuclear, CuCl(η ¹-S-H₂stsc-NHEt)(PPh₃)₂] (1) and sulfur-bridged dinuclear, Cu₂X₂(μ-S-H₂stsc-NEt)₂(PPh₃)₂] (X?=?Br, 4; I, 5) complexes. Similarly, reaction of silver halides (Cl, Br) with H₂stsc-NEt in acetonitrile followed by the addition of PPh₃ to the solid that formed (1?:?1?:?2 molar ratio), yielding mononuclear complexes, AgX(η ¹-S-H₂stsc-NHEt)(PPh₃)₂] (Cl, 2; Br, 3). All these complexes are characterized with analytical data, IR, and NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The ligand favored η ¹-S bonding in 1, 2, and 3, and μ-S bonding in 4 and 5. Cu?···?Cu contacts were 3.063?Å. The complexes form 1-D or 2-D H-bonded networks, entrapping solvent in some cases.