A new phenylimidorhenium(V) compound containing the 2-[(2-hydroxyethylimino)methyl]phenol Schiff-base ligand: experimental and theoretical aspects

Reaction of equimolar trans-Re(NPh)(PPh₃)₂Cl₃] with H₂L, a 1?:?1 Schiff-base condensate of salicylaldehyde and ethanolamine, in chloroform gives trans-Re(NPh)(HL)(PPh₃)Cl₂] (1a) in good yield. 1a has been characterized by C, H, and N microanalyses, FTIR and UV–vis spectra. The X-ray crystal structure of 1a reveals that it is an octahedral trans-Cl,Cl phenylimidorhenium(V) complex. The rhenium center has an ‘N₂OCl₂P’ coordination sphere. 1a crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 11.2391(5), b = 16.4848(7), c = 16.3761(8) Å, V = 3034.0(2) ų and Z = 4. The electrochemical aspects of 1a have been studied. Electrochemical studies of 1a in dichloromethane show a quasi-reversible Re(V) to Re(VI) oxidation at 1.128 V versus Ag/AgCl. This redox potential reasonably matches the calculated redox potential, 1.186 V versus Ag/AgCl. Geometry optimization of the trans-Cl,Cl 1a vis-à-vis its cis analog, cis-Cl,Cl 1b, have been performed at the level of density functional theory (DFT). It is revealed that 1a is more stable than 1b by 21.6 kcal per mole of energy in the gas phase.